In the November 24 issue of The Voice, David Hoehne wrote a letter to the editor challenging John and Nisha Whitehead’s “apparent elevation of Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers paramilitary group as an icon of free speech or First Amendment rights.”
I want to thank him for that letter.
As many of us learned as children, there is a difference between free speech and yelling “fire” in a crowded building. Using free speech to speak lies that are likely to result in injury and destruction, is something we are expected to cease as children. Yet some, similar to petulant children, some Americans hide behind the words “free speech” to do just that. We must call it out every time free speech is used to spread disinformation, hate-speech, and sedition. If we don’t challenge those things wherever we see and hear them, we may find ourselves in an Orwellian dystopia, or 1930s Germany, where lies become accepted as truth and, as John Whitehead so fears, we lose our Constitutional rights and freedoms.
This past weekend, soon after being host to hate-mongers, Nick Fuentes and Kanye West, for dinner, former president, Donald Trump made the following statement on his social media platform, Truth Social, while repeating the fantasy that the 2020 election was stolen from him:
“A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.”
It’s nothing new that Trump spouts disinformation and in statements like this, bordering on treason, in his attempt to retake power by any means necessary. What is more frightening is that his words are not universally condemned by those who love this country and have taken oaths to defend its Constitution!
Congressman Dave Joyce (R-Oho) was asked Sunday by George Stephanopoulos on ABC-TV’s news show, This Week, to respond to Donald Trump’s statement about suspending our Constitution. Joyce hemmed and hawed about “not looking backward” and other predictable attempts to evade the question. But here’s the frightening part. He ultimately admitted it wouldn’t prevent him from supporting Trump if he’s the 2024 Republican Party presidential nominee.
“That’s a remarkable statement,” responded Stephanopoulos. “You just said you’d support a candidate who’s come out for suspending the Constitution.”
Remarkable indeed! If enough people are willing to pass off Trump’s ambitions to overthrow our duly-elected leaders and shred our Constitution as the cost of having their team win, we easily could find ourselves in a country we don’t recognize.
Thankfully, others in the Republican Party did condemn the statement. Liz Cheney (R-Wym) called Trump an “enemy of the Constitution.”
Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) went even further with: “Not a single conservative can legitimately support him, and not a single supporter can be called a conservative. This is insane.”
So by all means, defend free speech and responsible dialog, but never defend those who, Stewart Rhodes or Donald Trump, would use the idea of free speech to excuse for tearing down the Constitution which enshrines it.