March 28, 2024

Citizens’ freedom of speech rights

keyboard, letter to the editor

There has been a lot of discussion in the media lately over censorship and freedom of speech, especially concerning Twitter and other social media platforms who have suspended the president’s various accounts due to continuing threats of violence after the deadly insurrection at the Capitol. I now see that during a recent Q&A with Chuch Grassley, Jon Dunwell suggested that these actions represent censorship and an “Assault on free speech.” I don’t really see how that is the case here since the president is still 100 percent free to give in-person press conferences, hold rallies, write a book, give interviews, speak on cable TV news networks, etc. Mr. Dunwell should know that the first amendment only applies to our government shutting down a person’s speech and arresting them for ideas they do approve of. So unless someone is bound and gagged in a jail cell somewhere, they have not been censored or lost any freedom of speech right. They are completely free to speak in public in a coffee shop, to a reporter, on the street corner without fear of arrest. This is Civics 101.

Mr. Dunwell’s, along with many others’, views on what the first amendment represents is flawed.

Twitter and social media are not the government, therefore there is no violation of free speech simply because they shut down an account due to violations of terms of service. If a person’s social media account gets suspended, they still have a multitude of options and venues available to them where they can say whatever they want.

If Mr. Dunwell still believes he is qualified to be our strict representative in the future, this would be a good first lesson for him to learn.

John Moore

Newton