Free Republic

“Hate speech.” The term calls to mind every sort of vile and disgusting insult and racial and ethnic slur. Who could possibly be in favor of allowing that? Large numbers of people instinctively assume that hateful statements, particularly those based on racial, religious or ethnic categories, must surely be illegal. But here in the U.S., such statements in general are not illegal, and not subject to criminal prosecution. A couple of weeks ago, our Attorney General Pam Bondi was recorded on a podcast saying that “We will absolutely . . . go after you, if you are targeting anyone with...

A high school classmate of mine, an honor roll student and leader back then, long known for her objectivity, sent a compelling letter to a handful of friends. She gave me permission to anonymously reprint her insightful letter, which I slightly modified only for length: Hello friends, 2020 is such an important election year, I want to share my thoughts with people I believe share my concerns about a possible Donald Trump loss.  In November, we will not be choosing between two old men from our traditional parties. It will be a fight between the cornerstone of our democracy –...

Spanish priest found guilty of ‘hate crime’ after criticizing Muslim persecution of ChristiansBarcelona priest Fr. Custodio Ballester was found guilty and now faces prison time for warning that ‘Islam does not allow dialogue’ with Christianity.Sentencing for a Spanish priest who this past week was found guilty of making “Islamophobic” comments more than seven years ago has Catholics as well as free speech advocates concerned.In February, Father Custodio Ballester was summoned by a regional court in Spain to respond to charges that he had committed a “hate crime” for calling attention to the unjust treatment Christians receive in Islamic majority countries.Ballester,...

SB-771 threatens to turn digital platforms into ideological enforcers, punishing those who hold traditional, faith-based viewpoints. California lawmakers are once again leading the charge — not toward progress, but toward repression. Their latest move, Senate Bill 771 (SB-771), is being packaged as a bold stand against “hate” on social media. In reality, it’s a direct assault on the free expression and constitutionally protected speech of ministries, minority groups, and faith-based organizations. The bill would force Big Tech to remove content that could be interpreted as “harassment” or “intimidation” based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and more — or face...

Tucker Carlson's most current interview of Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger (at https://x.com/i/status/1972716529608237173) brings up a nine-point list of Wikipedia policy reforms, of interest since the interview asserts that Wikipedia has a gargantuan influence, much greater than other media giants, on the total body of current knowledge--this in the information age. Question to ChatGPT: Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger maintains a 9-point list of reform measures for Wikipedia's policies at https://larrysanger.org/nine-theses/?utm_source=chatgpt.com#6-reveal-who-wikipedias-leaders-are. Presuming there will be no response from the Wikipedia governing body to item number 6, "Reveal who Wikipedia’s leaders are", is there a way for the identities of those anonymous leaders...

A controversial bill awaiting California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature would slap steep new penalties on social media platforms that fail to censor content deemed in violation of the state’s civil rights laws. SB 771, which passed both chambers of the state legislature and was sent to Newsom’s desk on Monday, imposes fines of up to $1,000,000 on social media platforms that fail to remove content that violates the state’s civil rights laws. Critics warn the measure will lead to sweeping censorship of lawful speech. Lawmakers defended SB 771 by citing “rising incidents of hate-motivated harm,” including “hate crimes involving...

Vigilant Fox 🦊 @VigilantFox REPORT: As America grieved Charlie Kirk’s death, California rammed through one of the harshest censorship bills in U.S. history. SB 771 gives the state sweeping power to police online speech—with penalties so crushing they could bankrupt ordinary citizens. Lawmakers approved $500,000 fines for “hateful” posts, and $1 million for willful violations. In under a week, the bill shot through both chambers and now sits on Gavin Newsom’s desk. If signed, politicians—not the people—will decide which words are allowed, and which could destroy your life. This isn’t just a California problem. The same playbook is already silencing...

A conservative activist group’s unannounced visit to Tennessee State University ignited a debate over free speech and safety on campus. Members of Fearless Debates said they had come to TSU to “create conversation and discourse.” The NAACP Nashville chapter countered that the group’s goal was to provoke and demean students at the historically Black university.... Fearless Debates described itself as part of the “Fearless Tour,” a grassroots effort inspired by the late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. On its website, the group said it was “bringing honest conversation and open debate back to America’s college campuses.”... The NAACP Nashville chapter called...

Meanwhile, a new poll shows a majority of voters believe it’s appropriate to fire employees who celebrate Charlie Kirk’s murder online. ============================================================= A week’s vacation from his “comedy” show didn’t make Jimmy Kimmel any funnier, less bitter, or more likeable. In fact, the late-night host returned to Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday — on fewer ABC local affiliate stations — sounding more partisan and petulant than ever. Kimmel offered no apology for the lies he told about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, comments that earned him an “indefinite,” short-lived suspension from his corporate bosses. The poster-child for Trump Derangement Syndrome thumbed his nose...

Charlie Kirk died for the same cause that David Horowitz was assaulted for, that Robert Spencer was banned for, and that Ben Shapiro faced bomb threats for: free speech on campus. In an academic environment where a respected 74-year-old scholar like Charles Murray could be physically assaulted at a college while the perpetrators walked away with a ‘mark’ on their permanent record, the willingness of conservatives to appear on campus was an act of courage. To do it the way that Charlie Kirk did was sheer heroism. There’s no question that he made an impact on a minority of students...

Google on Tuesday promised to restore YouTube accounts that have been banned for political speech, admitting that the Biden administration pressured it to censor Americans that did not violate the company’s terms of service, in a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). “Reflecting the Company’s commitment to free expression, YouTube will provide an opportunity for all creators to rejoin the platform if the company terminated their channels for repeated violations of COVID-19 and elections integrity policies that are no longer in effect,” a lawyer representing Google wrote to Jordan. The letter would likely affect pro-Trump political commentators...

FIRST ON FOX: Google vowed on Tuesday to offer YouTube accounts that were permanently banned for political speech the ability to be reinstated, and the big tech giant admitted that it once faced pressure from the Biden administration to remove content about COVID-19. Google detailed its remarkable shift in a document, first obtained by Fox News Digital, that a lawyer for the company provided to the House Judiciary Committee. The new policy from Google, also known by its parent company Alphabet, could affect both average users and well-known figures like FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, White House counterterrorism chief Sebastian...

It’s always problematic when a relativist claims to be the sole source of truth. ChatGPT defines relativism as: “Relativism is a philosophical stance suggesting that truths, values, or knowledge are not absolute but are instead relative to a specific cultural framework, historical context, or individual perspective.” Trust me, no one makes it clearer that his “truth” is based on a particular, secular, cultural framework, distorted historical context, and above all a twisted individual perspective on life than the current cultural pontificator, Barack Obama. After Charlie Kirk’s brutal assassination, Barry hung up his paddleboard to post this on X:We don’t yet...

Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R) denied that President Donald Trump attacked free speech rights in a recent Oval Office question and answer session when he complained to the press about negative news stories.CNN's Dana Bash played video of Trump saying Friday, “When somebody is given, 97% of the stories are bad about a person that's no longer free speech, that's no longer anything, that's just cheating.”Clips of Harris, Hilary Clinton etc pushing hard for suppression of free speech for conservatives/banning conservatives from social media because they the Democrats didn't like what conservatives were saying. In fact Hilary and Harris threatened...

Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested that the government, in response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, may start to target “hate speech.” In a podcast interview the AG stated that hate speech isn’t free speech and that her office may prosecute those who cross the line. Her comments outraged many on the right, who correctly see “hate speech” as a dubious concept engineered to suppress conservative views. It’s also an unconstitutional concept, as our laws recognize hate speech as free speech protected by the First Amendment. This was affirmed by Charlie Kirk himself. “Hate speech does not exist legally in...

Maureen Napleton, legal counsel at Napleton Auto Group in Hinsdale, is facing backlash over social media posts in which she celebrated the assassination of Charlie Kirk and called for violence against President Donald Trump.

Charlie Kirk’s murder proves free speech absolutism cannot withstand lies turned lethal—America must confront hate and incitement with lawful strength, not naïve trust.The murdered Charlie Kirk was a martyr to free speech and the belief in the power of reasoned argument to overcome lies and evil. “Hate speech does not exist legally in America,” he wrote on X in May of 2024. “There’s ugly speech. There’s gross speech. There’s evil speech. And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment.” There is much to admire in Charlie’s devotion to those principles, but his murder put those principles to...

A federal appeals panel just tossed Nina Jankowicz’s suit against Fox, ruling the broadcasts were opinion or substantially true — a major setback for the former Disinformation Governance Board head.

Although the winter 2022 truckers’ protest against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s punitive vaccine mandates shook Canada down to its mukluks, it no longer dominates the headlines. Still, it remains in public consciousness. Prominent protest members were recently convicted or are still on trial. Its implications are still with us, and its long-term effects may well be seismic. The Freedom Convoy traversed the country from Prince Rupert, British Columbia, to the nation’s capital in Ottawa to protest the biggest experiment ever in authoritarian rule over Canadians—COVID lockdowns and, particularly, the vaccines. The truckers and their fellow convoy travelers demanded the attention...

The cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel’s show doesn’t matter. What matters is the left’s embrace of political violence.The national conversation we need to have right now is not about free speech. The conversation we need to have is about the normalization of political violence on the left. We need to be talking about left-wing Antifa/trans terrorists gunning down Christians in broad daylight while Democrats and the corporate press justify it and the online left celebrates it. That’s the only conversation that matters right now. The manufactured outrage over ABC canceling Jimmy Kimmel’s show is an attempt to change the conversation, to...