When the Government Demands Silence (w/ Nico Perrino)

I grew up in North Central Massachusetts, and my parents tried to instill in me the idea of just accepting what I was told by those in authority. I did not. I guess I would have been called oppositional defiance disorder. But they didn't do that then. I still buck the norm

When Brendan Carr bared the bully’s blade and threatened broadcasters with the “hard way,” the First Amendment flinched, and the FCC’s fangs flashed in full view; when Harvard held firm and Meta bent low, when CBS settled and speech shrank, the century of civil libertarians cracked beneath corporate compliance; when Charlie Kirk was killed for a campus sign and critics were condemned for insufficient sorrow, the state sanctified silence and made mourning mandatory; then the republic recoiled, remembering Zenger’s jury, Debs’ defiance, and the sacred sentence: that speech, not submission, must survive the storm.

Love me a Constitution scholar

I remember a Crossfire episode with a rightwing extremist--dont remember if it was this guest or somebody else. At the end, when they were wrapping up, Braden and Pat Buchanan speculated to each other how much influence this person and people like him actually had. They both chuckled and agreed very little, implying it wasn't worth worrying about. That was about 35 years ago. People on the right continued to believe this for a long time, believing that leftwing extremism was a much more real threat. Now here we are.

Interesting conversation. The first thing that colleges need to do is include an opening sentence in their welcome letters. YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO NOT BE OFFENDED ON CAMPUS. OR ANYWHERE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER. YOU'RE HERE TO GROW TF UP. I say that as an old egalitarian.

Reminds me of the 70s when Glide Memorial Methodist church invited Black Panthers to speak and they still do that Believing all voices need to be heard and with calm patience and intelligent dialogue debated so we understand each others point of view.

What a great interview. Thank you or introducing me to FIRE and Nico Perrino.

Thank you for the great thought provoking conversation!

FIRE is a phenomenal organization! I always love hearing from them and appreciate so much what they do.

Pertinent discourse on freedom of expression. Thank you