Mike’s Musings: Are we in Danger of losing Free Speech?

All I want for Christmas is the return of free speech to America and the rest of the world. Free speech, long a credo of Democracy, has been hijacked by those that can’t stand others having a differing opinion. Thus, they attempt to silence us, by calling what we say “disinformation” or labeling us nazis or “commies.”
I personally have been attacked for writing columns that some people take offense to. They try to silence me by calling me names or questioning my ability to think or write. For the most part, I ignore them, and even publish their rants, because they, like I, have a right to express their opinion and who am I to squelch that opinion.
Personally, I don’t care what people think. I’ve been called a communist, by a state lawmaker no less, and a white supremist. I suppose I have opinions, like everyone, and they don’t always check the conservative or liberal box.
But enough about me. We have got to understand that as human beings, not everyone is going to agree with our line of thought. And we must accept those contrarians if free speech is going to survive.
Elon Musk bought Twitter, now X, because he wanted to offer free speech on that platform. Twitter had become a tool for progressives and media to push their agendas, while silencing those that disagreed. I think he has largely been successful in making that happen, but he paid a tremendous price in so doing.
His “free speech mantra” has cost him billions of dollars in advertising revenue, and he has become the favorite “whipping boy” of those that hate the changes he has made.
Some are aghast at the pro-Palestinian rallies that have occurred across the world. “Shut them down” and deport the student organizers many proclaim. Although I stand firmly behind Israel and their right to eliminate Hamas, I also believe if you value free speech, you ought to allow student-led rallies, no matter what how abhorrent your think their cause is.
Free speech is free speech, it isn’t what you or I think should be allowed. Without it, I fear we will crumble into a one-sided world in which the believers (mostly the elites) will rule the non-believers. I fear an Orwellian existence more than anything else. Free speech is so important.
Yet there are so many of our government officials, bureaucrats, media, and elites demanding that we tow their line. They strive for a new world order, one in which the middle class all but disappears. One in which we are told, as citizens, what we can think and say, and we are beholden to those in charge.
Even now, if we have a contrarian thought, it is often labeled disinformation. For instance, if you were to call for the disbandment of the United Nations, on the grounds that it wasn’t serving the needs of the United States, you would immediately be labeled an isolationist. Worse yet call for an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war. Those in power, we attempt to silence you.
The Black Panthers, back in the early 70’s, use to chant “power to the people.” That chant has more meaning now than back then. Because we the people have allowed, those in charge to essentially usurp all the power the people once had, we now are faced with possibly losing the most precious right we have- free speech.
Don’t let it happen.