Free speech is what keeps democracy alive
To the editor:
The Trump administration assault on free speech is reaching a new level that should have us all very worried. If the FCC is ready and willing to yank the broadcast licenses of media outlets that employ comedians and journalists the president does not like and run stories critical of the administration, our democracy is truly dead and buried.
The hypocrisy, though, is stunning. The president regularly insults entertainers and journalists who displease him by calling them “no talent losers” or “horrible” people, or “low intelligence” etc. He posted an image of the Obamas as apes. No problems with any of this, but if Jimmy Kimmel or Stephen Colbert tells a joke Trump finds offensive, they should lose their jobs, and their employers should have their broadcast licenses revoked.
James Comey is again under indictment, this time for posting an image of seashells he saw on the beach forming a design that read “86 47.” Trump and the MAGA faithful interpret this as a threat to assassinate the president. First, 86 means “get rid of” which could as easily mean “vote against” as anything resembling a call to violence. Who knows what was in the mind of the person who created the design? How can you know for certain what was in Comey’s mind? Do we need Orwell’s Thought Police to take charge?
CBS is under Trump’s thumb and he’s going after ABC. He’s talked frequently about locking up journalists. He wants to create a climate of fear where his critics are driven underground. But he’s failing. In Hungary and across Europe, authoritarianism is in retreat.
Our midterm elections will be our first step towards getting rid of the Trump agenda of chaos and brutality. Bullies love to hurl insults at their perceived enemies, but they can’t stand it when their targets return the favor. The DOJ and the FCC work for the American people; those agencies are not supposed to be weaponized against critics of the president.
Ray Clasen
North Fort Myers