The morality police and what it means for the First Amendment

“To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.” –Fredrick Douglas

Undoubtedly, “Free Speech” is the bedrock of any democracy. Our nation’s “Founders” were such big fans that they embedded the idea in the very First Amendment in our most important document–The US Constitution.

Even in my “neck of the woods” in rural Missouri–The First Amendment is the one thing that we all agree on when it comes to political conversations. We might not always agree but we don’t believe in censorship of any sort.

It’s drilled into our heads from a young age just how important this Constitutional Right is. But we start to question why it’s been attacked and why we can’t share ideas. And yes, hillbillies tend to have their own solid tidbits of wisdom and engineering, believe it or not.

And we’re not afraid to share those either. I mean oral traditions like storytelling are a huge part of our cultural fabric so you can see why it's no secret that for ideas to manifest themselves, they have to be shared through one medium or another with engagement.

That’s how we managed to maintain and progress as a nation for the past 246 years. But what happens when that bedrock goes under attack? What does it look like?

Those are the kinds of questions we really need to start asking ourselves–so we can plan a better offensive to keeping our sacred right in its place.

If you have been watching the news, y’all have probably seen the calls for extreme censorship by the MAGA. From the book bannings to the kicked-over hornet’s nest in the Middle East.

Making calls to defund colleges that allow freedom of expression through protests or flat-out threatening investigations of members of the press for doing their job.

Or Especially when they try to censure House Representatives for their opinions over the conflict in the Middle East. These are outright attacks on the First Amendment led by the "morality" police.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that that noble idea was attacked by the “morality” police. I mean the most infamous examples were the PMRC hearings in 1985 that featured Frank Zappa, Dee Snider, and John Denver. And its whole point was to censor the kind of music people listened to thanks to the “Satanic Panic”.

Because we all know that heavy metal and folk/country genres are terrifying and degrade our society. And then there the most unlikely champion of “Free Speech” emerged in 1988 that came from the porn industry–Larry Flynt.

He was sued by an evangelist preacher named Jerry Falwell because of a racey ad featured in Hustler. That case went all the way to the SCOTUS which ruled in Flynt’s favor. And you might be wondering what Twisted Sister and Larry Flynt have in common with the modern movements of censorship.

Well, the common denominator is “Morality” or at least driven by the extreme views of a few who think they should dictate what the definition of morality is.

Only with the modern movement of “morality” police took on a very “The Gesetz zur Bewahrung der Jugend vor Schund- und Schmutzschriften” (Filith and Trash laws of the Weimar Republic) twist including the push for indoctrination and wanting to limit criticism of the government. I mean there is a whole chapter in the Heritage Foundation’s manifesto.. I mean a handbook that’s dedicated to the demolishment of the “free press” and “free speech” as we know it.

This means our lawmakers will have nobody looking into things that would keep them accountable to their constituents. Honestly, it’s a terrifying chapter that all centers around a very skewed view of what “morality” is and disinformation.

This leads us to the endless lawsuits and talking points about taking on the big bad federal government.

One could argue all of these lawsuits and talking points the GOP is screaming about “Free Speech” aren’t really about the First Amendment or taking on the government.

It’s about letting their propaganda which is littered with lots of fake news and disinformation designed to create absolute confusion and chaos among voters; so they can push their very unconstitutional agenda without folks noticing that we’re sliding off into the land of Christo Fascism. So, while I’m a firm believer in “people have the right to say what they want” but that mean doesn’t I have to agree with it nor does it mean I won’t call it out when it's wildly inappropriate.

As that’s my individual right to do so. I’m also a firm believer that words have consequences and certain kinds of words will get you a well-deserved shunning.

Because the world is filled with good people who believe there’s enough hate in the world without adding to it. So, those consequences typically take care of themselves without government interference.

So, before the First Amendment gets smashed into tiny little pieces–start paying attention to what’s going on in the political world. And start exercising that right of “talking back” to the crazies that wish to destroy our founding rock of democracy.

As always take care and take care of another Much Love, Jojo