The right is struggling with a censorship issue that’s escalating. Conservatives are increasingly focused on silencing those who critique Israel and Jewish folks. While it would be wonderful to live in a world where everyone loves one another and disagreements never happen, that’s not our reality. “Hate speech,” like it or not, falls under the protection of the First Amendment. If the right fails to uphold this, how on earth can we credibly criticize the left for their draconian censorship tactics?
(Article republished from Revolver.news)
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) held up his new bill as a possible solution to antisemitism on college campuses, saying the debates in colleges and universities across the country are “not a free speech issue.”
Lawler, alongside Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Max Miller (R-Ohio) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), introduced the Antisemitism Awareness Act in late October, which they hope will enable universities and law enforcement to go after antisemitic speech, which he described as hate speech.
Let’s face it, many Republicans have stumbled into the left’s “hate speech” trap. They may not see it, but they’re effectively stifling free speech. As we’ve seen from Supreme Court rulings, “hate speech” isn’t a legally recognized category. The article from The Hill goes on:
“We have seen a rapid rise in antisemitism on these college campuses, and we need to crack down on it,” Lawker said in a CNN interview Friday. “This is not a free speech issue. This is hate speech.”
The bill would force the Education Department to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism for use in enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws.
The IHRA definition, which is not currently universally accepted, includes anti-Zionism, a belief against the state of Israel, as a factor — which some contend is simply a political belief and has nothing to do with religious discrimination.
It’s not just random Republican congressmen pushing censorship either, it’s the “f*****g frauds” at Fox News, according to Glenn Greenwald.
What absolute fucking frauds Fox News is.
They spent years denouncing, mocking and screaming about censorship on campuses. I was on many times to do it.
Now that the censorship is done to ban and silence critics of Israel - including a Jewish group - they couldn't be happier: https://t.co/EpI0tS0XxHpic.twitter.com/F8xxSW6Ao3
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 10, 2023
This must be one of the reasons why Fox got rid of Tucker Carlson.
Too bad Tucker Carlson is no longer on Fox, so he can't deliver this scathing denunciation of this newfound conservative support for campus censorship to protect Israel.
But vocal dissent from the Murdochs' worldview like this is precisely why he's not on Fox any longer. pic.twitter.com/CkKktApxSj
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 10, 2023
The right probably feels completely justified in their actions, firmly believing that their form of “censorship” is for the greater good. However, the left has the same convictions about their causes. That’s exactly why it’s crucial to take an unwavering stand on free speech. You’re either fully committed to it, including the stuff that offends you, or you’re not. And whether you like it or not, if the right is championing censorship, regardless of the cause, it puts us on the same level as the Marxists on the left.
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