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The Censorship Crusade Continues
Townhall.com ^ | June 8, 2019 | Jeff Crouere

Posted on 06/08/2019 12:58:50 PM PDT by Kaslin

Throughout our history, free speech has been cherished in the United States of America. Thankfully, we have the First Amendment which mandates that “Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech.” It not only protects this right, but also the free press and other precious liberties such as the right to exercise religious beliefs, assemble, and “petition the Government for the redress of grievances.”

Unfortunately, in recent years, there has been an assault on free speech. On many college campuses, conservative speakers are not welcome. Often, when a conservative is invited, progressive groups attempt to persuade the administration to cancel the speech. If that is not successful,protesters will try to shut down the speech, frequently using violence.

This paucity of conservative speakers can also be found at college graduation ceremonies. Commencement addresses are the highest profile speech that can be given on any college campus. Unfortunately, students and parents are usually only exposed to a speaker who is an avowed liberal, progressive or socialist.

A study of college commencement addresses was conducted byYoung America’s Foundation in 2018. The results were unsettling, but not surprising. It discovered that liberals exceeded conservatives by an astounding 12-1 margin. These invitees reflected the values of college professors and administrators, who are overwhelmingly liberal.

Sadly, the ongoing censorship of conservatism is not limited to college campuses. It is especially apparent every day in our media environment. The mainstream news media has been dominated by liberals for decades. So, positive news about conservative policies or politicians is regularly censored. The disturbing situation was documented in a recentMedia Research Center study. It showed that during a three-month period in 2018, approximately 92% of the news coverage of President Trump on the three major broadcast networks was negative.

Americans hoping for a better result among social media platforms have been thoroughly disappointed. In recent months, there have been regular reports that conservative commentators have either been marginalized or completely removed from certain social media sites.

This week, YouTube demonetized the site of Stephen Crowder, a conservative comedian. Even though he developed a tremendous audience of 4 million subscribers, YouTube targeted him because of complaints from Carlos Maza, a Vox journalist. Maza complained that Crowder engaged in regular “homophobic attacks” over a two-year period.

While Crowder’s targeting of Maza as a “lipsy queer” is certainly unfortunate, the best response is not censorship, but more free speech. YouTube should not silence controversial or even distasteful views of commentators but allow the publication of other opinions.

As media outlets promoted Crowder’s punishment for lampooning Maza, there was very little investigation into the background of the “victim.” Several weeks ago, Maza tweeted that Brexit opponents in the UK throw milkshakes at politicians who wanted to leave the European Union and “Humiliate them at every turn.”

In October of 2017, Maza blasted Sean Hannity of Fox News for criticizing violent Antifa protests. He called the valid complaints of Hannity and other outraged Americans a plot to “demonize legitimate protest movements.”

Prior to working atVox, Maza was employed by Media Matters, a progressive organization committed to destroying conservative programs by targeting their advertisers and pressuring them to cease their financial support.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) noted that YouTube penalized Crowder, but continues to allow liberal commentators such as Samantha Bee on their site. This so-called comedian regularly insults conservatives and had to apologize for a horrible slur she directed at Ivanka Trump. According to Cruz, YouTube has “no coherent standard” and the best idea is “DON’T BLACKLIST ANYBODY.”

Instead of supporting free speech, the standard for YouTube and other social media sites is to censor conservatives while allowing liberals the independence to make any kind of comment. Of course, this type of policy is more than troubling. As Cruz warned, “YouTube is not the Star Chamber-stop playing God and silencing those voices you disagree with.”

These actions should alarm every American, regardless of party or ideology. Our country should reject these Orwellian maneuvers to institute a liberal groupthink.

Ideas need to be vigorously debated and Americans should be exposed to as many viewpoints as possible. The problem is that liberals cannot withstand a hearty debate and do not want to engage in a defense of their ideas. They know their positions will not prevail against conservative arguments, so their strategy is to eliminate the discussion by calling conservatives “racist,” among many other insults.

In the upcoming election, the issue of censorship needs to be at the forefront. It is a threat to the future survival of the United States and demands our attention. If this trend is not reversed, the consequences for the “land of the free” will be very frightening to say the least.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: carlosmaza; censorship; mediamatters; stephencrowder

1 posted on 06/08/2019 12:58:50 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

“Exercise religious belief” Yeah sure, they’ve pretty much even outlawed the Easter Bunny in most skool districts, who are they kidding?


2 posted on 06/08/2019 1:03:06 PM PDT by Freedom4US
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To: Kaslin

While Crowder’s targeting of Maza as a “lipsy queer” is certainly unfortunate, the best response is not censorship, but more free speech. YouTube should not silence controversial or even distasteful views of commentators but allow the publication of other opinions.
= = =

So the other opinion might be: “I am not a lithpy queer”.


3 posted on 06/08/2019 1:07:12 PM PDT by Scrambler Bob (You know that I am full of /S)
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To: Kaslin

And in an EXTREMELY warm place, Dr. Joseph Goebbels is widely smiling as he sees the nation that defeated his own rapidly adopting and following his own works.


4 posted on 06/08/2019 1:08:05 PM PDT by CaptainAmiigaf ( N.Y. Times--We print the news as it fits our views)
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To: All
While Crowder’s targeting of Maza as a “lipsy queer” is certainly unfortunate...

No it isn't. It is an accurate description, using maza's own vernacular. "The truth doesn't care about your feelings"

5 posted on 06/08/2019 1:10:51 PM PDT by rockrr ( Everything is different now...)
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To: Kaslin

Nothing new here...………..??

Just a different day.


6 posted on 06/08/2019 1:11:28 PM PDT by EnglishOnly (eWFight all out to win OR get out now. .)
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To: Kaslin

“in recent years, there has been an assault on free speech.”

Who knew? A real activist, this one is. Liberty any day now.


7 posted on 06/08/2019 1:12:45 PM PDT by coaster123
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To: Kaslin
This week, YouTube demonetized the site of Stephen Crowder

Maybe he'll get a job now.

8 posted on 06/08/2019 1:14:30 PM PDT by humblegunner
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To: Kaslin

Who cares ?

FREE REPUBLIC RULES !

Forget all other websites

Tell everyone you know

Thank Jim today ! $$$$


9 posted on 06/08/2019 1:20:28 PM PDT by Truthoverpower (The guvmint you get is the Trump winning express !)
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To: Kaslin
The censorship will spread to web hosts and eventually privately owned servers. When conservatives are reduced to "billboards: and dial up the phone companies will shut that down, too.

That is a bit hyperbolic but only a bit. By June of next year I expect that conservatives will have no access to any e-communications services and many individual sites will be shut down as the banks shut off services to identified conservatives and Christians. That is why I put no stock in any election polls or predictions. The Right will be gone from view by next summer.

And then there is the vote fraud that will be at levels several, maybe many, times anything previously because the semi open vote fraud of the last two rounds got no blowback- there is no penalty. If DJT does not put the axe to those two rotten trees he, and we, will be defeated next year in a manufactured landslide.

10 posted on 06/08/2019 1:21:17 PM PDT by arthurus (cft)
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To: Truthoverpower

Who cares?! Everyone should!

Forget all other websites?!?! Just where do you think the articles posted here come from?


11 posted on 06/08/2019 1:34:07 PM PDT by Freedom56v2 (#KATE'SWALL Build it Now)
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To: CaptainAmiigaf

“First they came for the Hitler videos....”


12 posted on 06/08/2019 1:35:08 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: arthurus

I agree with your assessment Arthurus. I can’t understand why more people aren’t more vocal and seeing the same writing on the wall; particularly ‘conservatives’ in media with large platforms. But, I can probably answer my own questions easily enough.


13 posted on 06/08/2019 2:36:12 PM PDT by Sheapdog (Chew the meat, spit out the bones - FUBO - Come and get me)
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To: Kaslin

Brownshirts by any other name are still Brownshirts ...


14 posted on 06/08/2019 3:04:50 PM PDT by DaBeerfreak (As long as the politicians believe they're not the problem; we have a big problem.)
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To: Sheapdog; arthurus

I agree with your assessment Arthurus. I can’t understand why more people aren’t more vocal and seeing the same writing on the wall; particularly ‘conservatives’ in media with large platforms. But, I can probably answer my own questions easily enough.
___________________________________________
BUMP - Agreed


15 posted on 06/08/2019 5:00:18 PM PDT by Freedom56v2 (#KATE'SWALL Build it Now)
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To: Freedom56v2; Sheapdog; arthurus

Social media are publicly-traded corporations (not private companies) subject to SEC, FTC, FCC oversight, and regulated by CDA (1996) Section 230.

If there were any real representation in Congress, and rule of law in DOJ, their Federal protection from content liability in exchange for operating as open platforms would already have been removed, subjecting them to civil lawsuits.

Corporate malfeasance, consumer fraud - one does not even need to invoke anti-trust regulations, much less create new regulations, to hold them accountable. There is no political will to do so.

The UniParty wants conservatives and Christians silenced. Period.


16 posted on 06/08/2019 5:39:14 PM PDT by YogicCowboy ("I am not entirely on anyone's side, because no one is entirely on mine." - J. R. R. Tolkien)
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To: YogicCowboy

Excellent points!


17 posted on 06/08/2019 5:44:02 PM PDT by Freedom56v2 (#KATE'SWALL Build it Now)
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To: Freedom56v2

Bump


18 posted on 06/08/2019 8:06:40 PM PDT by foreverfree
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