Freedom of speech is one of the core building blocks of the United States as a whole. But it is also equally simple and complicated. In simple terms, freedom of speech says that we do not have to fear either being jailed or killed for just speaking our minds. It gets complicated when it comes to hate speech and incitement. Yelling fire in a crowded movie theater theoretically, could go either way.
The backlash against the riot in Washington D.C. last Wednesday has been swift and furious. Once more, you know who is facing impeachment. He has been banned from most, if not all of the major social media companies. The website Parler, known to attract members of the conservative and alt-right movements, has been shut down entirely.
Is you know who to blame for last Wednesday? Without a doubt. It was his words that encouraged the near destruction of the Capitol Building. That being said, the blame does not entirely fall on him. The blame is on the social media companies. They have been making up their own rules for years, allowing extremists of all sorts to use their platforms to spread their lies and attract new members.
While freedom of speech is immutable, what is not immutable is the actions of the big tech companies. The ball is in their court. They can either proceed as if nothing has happened. Or, they can face up to their part in this mess and help to clean it up. The choice is theirs.
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