Historically, we’ve been able to count on a strong legal and cultural consensus surrounding freedom of speech and expression: In America, you get to speak your mind.
Or so we thought. Today, legions of Americans are being kicked off social platforms, losing their jobs, and having their reputations destroyed because they voiced an unpopular or unconventional opinion, used the wrong word, or violated the ever-shifting and increasingly capricious rules as to what constitutes acceptable speech.
Although the legal protections preventing government from censoring speech are still strong, it’s fair to wonder for how long given the broader cultural assault on free expression in America. And this growing hostility is one that should trouble anyone — left, right, or center — who cares about American democracy or the creation of a vibrant political center in America.
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