Yes, this is one of those “political” posts–at least for those who choose to look at this concept as politics. If you do, probably should stop reading right now.
But I cannot remain quiet.
As I continue to read the news, pulling together what may seem like disparate threads, I see a disturbing strategy being implemented by the current administration. And, terrifyingly, I see too much acquiescence and too little fight. Each threat taken on it’s own may seem small, but as we aggregate them the results are devastating.
What has made this country great has been the willingness to air and consider very disparate ideas or differing approaches to doing things. Whether it’s different approaches and novel ideas in scientific research. Or different ideas and debates we experience in college courses. Or the differences we see in modern journalism. Of the ability to have differing ideas and positions in all our social channels. Or our legal system, which is built on presenting different points of view, giving every person the right to be heard and judged by their peers. Or businesses, being open to differences in strategies, positioning, markets, and public positioning. Or our foundations, being free to pursue different goals, and to publicly speak about them. Or our welcoming of different cultures, religious views, nationalities, or orientations. Or our schools, teaching children to look at different ideas, to provided them diverse (oops, I guess I’m not supposed to use that word) reading and learning experiences. Or looking at our theaters, performers and entertainers who help us imagine whole new worlds and different possibilities.
In this freedom, we see many things we disagree with, many things we don’t like, many things we may want to stop. But this country has been built on the free exchange of ideas, thinking, and approaches. It has what has made America stand out. It has made America an innovator. It has made America, and continues to make America great.
And the current administration is not, or at least claims they are not attacking our freedom of speech. What they are doing is perhaps more insidious. They are creating a fear of speaking. They encourage freedom of speech. As long as the things being spoken about align with their ideas.
How are they creating this fear of speaking? By attacking law firms representing issues the administration opposes. By attacking universities for teaching subjects or doing research the administration doesn’t support. Or restricting foreign students because they have differing ideas, beliefs, experiences. Or deporting college newspaper writers who have expressed a dissenting opinion. Or attacking and investigating journalists that don’t fall in line. Or suing major media companies that don’t say the things the administration wants them to say. Or dictating how and who we do business with, and how businesses should price eggs. Or attacking judges, even those they have appointed, who rule differently. And I could go on.
And the reaction we see in too many places is active acquiescence! People afraid to do things that aren’t aligned with the government. Companies afraid of the financial impact of implementing strategies that aren’t in lockstep with the things that reward the administration. Legal firm partners protecting their net worth, because they don’t want the potential loss of business. Or our public servants afraid to do their jobs because they might lose them. Or our elected officials afraid to represent the people who elected them because it might cause them to be in disagreement with the oligarchs.
The impact of these diverse (oops, there I go again) actions is to intentionally create fear. Fear, not only in the individuals and institutions who have actions directed against them. But perhaps more importantly, fear in everyone surrounding them. Other universities, other students, other researchers, other journalists, other business leaders, other elected officials, other judges, other legal firms, other media companies, every company in this country, every individual in this country. These people, organizations, and institutions are afraid to speak out, fearing they will be attacked as others have been. Some may fear to speak out because they can’t afford to defend their ability to have differing views.
And for those that dare to do their jobs, to live up to the oaths they have taken or commitments they have made. When they dare to speak they are vilified by the president and their cronies. Their lives and those of their families are threatened. But these people have had the courage to speak. The real impact is the fear and intimidation from those in similar roles, who have taken similar oaths. Will they become targets? Will their families become targets? What if they, also, dare to speak?
These actions are maliciously and intentionally oriented to create a Fear of Speaking! They are oriented to promote speech and ideas aligned with their wishes and reward them. And they want to crush any differences. What does Freedom of Speech mean in a country where we Fear to Speak?
Fortunately, we see people and institutions standing up to the fearmongering driven by the administration. We see universities like Harvard standing up. We see legal firms, we see judges, we see journalists, we see individual citizens standing up in protest. We see, too few, companies standing up. Some not so much in resistance, but in doing the right thing
We see too few of the “elite,” who with all their wealth are afraid to speak. And most importantly, we see too few of our elected officials standing up for what they know is wrong.
We can’t have Freedom of Speech, if we Fear to Speak. That trumps (oops) everything.
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