We have been discussing how attacking free speech has become an article of faith for many on the left. That includes embracing corporate censorship and recently even good old-fashioned state censorship. It includes banning books and preventing opposing voices to be heard on campuses. Now, MSNBC national security analyst Frank Figliuzzi has called for Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Fox News host Tucker Carlson should face civil liability for their commentary on transgender policies or controversies after the recent tragic shooting in Colorado. It is part of a growing movement in the media in favor of imposing criminal or civil liability on opposing viewpoints — a call that is tantamount to sawing the very branch upon which journalists and analysts sit. …
As free speech advocates, we cannot be drawn onto the slippery slope of only defending views with which we agree or treating some as beyond the protections of free speech principles because we find their views wrong or odious.
That is a test of principle that seems increasingly beyond not just many in politics but, surprisingly, in the media.
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