Can Americans Really Handle Free Speech?

Americans love to brag about free speech. It’s one of the first rights we learn about in school and the one we point to as proof of our freedom. But if you look at our history, it’s clear we’ve never been great at actually handling it. From the early days of punishing people who criticized the government to the modern habit of “canceling” those we disagree with, we’ve always struggled with the same problem: most people don’t really want free speech—they just want the freedom to say what they think. The hard part is remembering that free speech only works if it protects everyone, not just those who share our views. 

Today marks five weeks since the murder of religious and political activist, Charlie Kirk. Discussing the reasons and whys after the murder of a political figure is a place our country has been before.  In fact, we’ve been here a lot.  Some of the most powerful, outspoken voices in history have been silenced by violence. Abraham Lincoln was murdered for holding the Union together and ending slavery. James Garfield and William McKinley were struck down as presidents in their prime. John F. Kennedy was cut down in Dallas, his brother, Robert, just five years later on the campaign trail. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were killed for daring to speak out on justice and dignity. Harvey Milk was assassinated for being the first openly gay elected official in San Francisco. Around the world, the pattern repeats: Mahatma Gandhi gunned down for his message of nonviolence, Anwar Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin murdered for pursuing peace, Benazir Bhutto killed for defying extremists, Archbishop Óscar Romero shot at the altar for defending the poor. 

The lesson is always the same: violence does not care about party, ideology, or geography. It comes for anyone who dares to speak boldly. Killing the messenger never kills the message — but it always robs the world of a life of value. 

Let’s briefly discuss the POLITICS of free speech: 

The Double Standard on the Left 

When Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot in 2011, the left shouted for gun control, and the media gave it wall-to-wall coverage. Her suffering was real and heartbreaking — and it deserved attention. But compare that to 2017, when Rep. Steve Scalise was nearly killed at a Congressional baseball practice. Where was the same national outrage? Where was the sustained demand for “action”? 

Fast forward to 2024: an assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The response? A shrug from many who had been screaming about “political violence” just a few years earlier. Somehow, calls for reform are selective, depending on the party affiliation of the victim. I have heard very little from the left about gun control since the murder of Charlie Kirk. Have you? 

Let’s call this what it is: hypocrisy. 

The Double Standard on the Right 

Republicans are guilty of the same thing.  

After the Charlie Kirk assassination, late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel made a comment about the incident that offended some. Should he have been fired for it? In my opinion, no; however, that’s up to his boss. But, apparently, a lot of pressure from the right was put on the parent company to suspend Kimmel immediately. That’s not free speech. That is the government controlling what can and cannot be said on television. I don’t watch Kimmel. I don’t watch Colbert. I don’t watch either of them because ALL they talk about is Donald Trump. I want to LAUGH and be entertained the last hour before I go to bed. I don’t want more and more of the evening news at 5 pm. That is MY CHOICE, but at no time do I have the right to demand others not have the opportunity to watch who they want. I simply turn the channel and move on.  

Recently, a candidate for district attorney in Virginia proved how easily the line of free speech can be blurred. His comments were irresponsible and flat-out stupid. He is certainly not someone I would vote for because of those words. Those words, and the character behind them, are not what I look for in my political leaders. But it’s not the job of the Republican Party or the media to cancel him. That’s not how a constitutional republic and free speech work. It’s up to the Virginia voters to decide at the ballot box how much those words matter come election day.  

When a conservative commentator is banned from Twitter or loses a job for controversial views, Republicans cry “censorship” and “tyranny.” But when left-wing voices are silenced, blacklisted, or punished for their speech — whether it’s progressive professors, anti-war activists, or journalists who criticize Trump — the right suddenly loses its voice. 

Again, the principle disappears when it’s inconvenient. If free speech matters, it should matter for everyone — not just your side.  

Let’s call this what it is: hypocrisy. 

Every Life, Every Voice 

You don’t have to like someone to recognize their humanity. You don’t have to agree with their politics to believe their life — and their voice — has worth. 

If you only condemn violence when it hurts “your side,” you’ve lost the moral high ground. If you only defend free speech when your allies are targeted, you don’t actually care about freedom. We all have things that truly irritate us and set us off.  

I am an AVID lover of sports. I love watching high school, collegiate, and professional games in person. I want to LOSE MY RELIGION when people refuse to stand for the national anthem.  Furthermore, an act in America that I feel is absolutely disgusting is burning the American flag, but GUESS WHAT…. These are ALL FORMS OF FREE SPEECH. I cannot sit here and advocate for my right to free speech, much less thank the ones who paid for it with their lives, without also being willing to accept that a person practicing their free speech is within their constitutional rights even when it makes my flipping blood boil.  

The Challenge 

The question we need to ask is simple: Why does free speech become a left or right issue? Same with guns. Same with mental illness.  Why is it that some lives are mourned loudly, while others are brushed aside? Left and right issues used to be about taxes, abortion, education, security, and wars. The political agenda no longer resides in this circle. Politics in America isn’t just divided by taxes, abortion, education, or war anymore; it’s divided by moral identity. Each side believes it holds the moral high ground, and that makes compromise almost impossible. We’ve lost the ability to separate what’s legal from what’s moral, and what’s speech from what’s harm. There’s nothing wrong with owning a gun—but using that gun to murder someone is. There’s nothing wrong with speaking your mind—but using your words to threaten a person’s life or destroy their reputation crosses the line. 

Every act of political violence and non-political violence must be condemned. Every act of censorship must be resisted. Not because of who the victim is — but because every life is of value, and every voice deserves the right to be heard, even when the thought of listening to that voice makes you want to punch a wall. And, never forget, YOU DON’T HAVE TO LISTEN! Again, tuning out your ears to those you do not agree with is the beauty of freedom; however, they have every right to speak.  

So maybe the real question at the root of all of this isn’t whether Americans believe in free speech, but whether we can actually handle it. Can we handle people expressing their beliefs WITHOUT reacting violently? We say everyone should be free to speak their mind, but deep down, most of us only mean that when we agree with what’s being said. History proves time and time again throughout politics and culture - despite party, gender, race, sexuality, economic status, or educational degrees - people fighting for their own voices while trying to silence others. From the Founding Fathers’ early limits on dissent to modern social media outrage, the story of free speech in America isn’t about unity—it’s about our constant struggle to live up to, and honor, the freedom we claim to cherish. 

Until we learn that consistency of respect for free speech and until we stop turning tragedy and principle into partisan theater, we will never solve the problem. And we will keep losing lives and freedoms that matter. 

Because freedom without consistency isn’t freedom at all — it’s just politics. 

Thank you for your time. It is extremely valuable, and I sincerely appreciate you sharing it with me. Be strong. Be brave. Be kind. Never be afraid to GREAUX.