👏👏👏 Katherine, you absolutely blew me away with this principled defense of freedom of speech we need right now! I don’t like Jimmy Kimmel at all. But the FCC under Brendan Carr went too far in using government power to pressure ABC into firing Kimmel. The left and the right both love free speech-when it’s for them. But when the shoe is on the other foot they say it’s fine. Both the left and the right love to use censorship against anyone they disagree with. Whether it be campus speech codes, hate speech laws, de-platforming people on social media, laws banning flag burning or the BDS Movement, or a government agency punishing a TV host for saying something they don’t like, it’s all wrong and all a violation of one’s constitutional rights!
Let’s not be hypocritical here, the right does it to even though they wouldn’t admit it. What would you call what Carr did to Kimmel, Pam Bondi calling people celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death online “hate speech”, Rep. Clay Higgins proposing a bill that would ban people’s accounts if they celebrate Mr. Kirk’s death, Donald Trump suing Bill Maher over a joke, Roy Moore suing Sacha Baron Cohen also over a joke, book bans, bans on drag queen storybook time, and laws that ban critical race theory? I’m glad you remain principled and above the partisan fray Katharine! It doesn’t matter which side it comes from, we must stand for the first amendment! If you take speech from your opponents they can turn that back on you, as we’ve seen recently with the pendulum swinging back towards the right again. Here are some great titles I’d recommend to everyone to remind us of the importance of free speech in a time it’s under attack:
• How Free Speech Saved Democracy: The Untold Story of How the First Amendment Became an Essential Tool for Securing Liberty and Social Justice by Christopher M. Finan
• Liberty’s First Crisis: Adams, Jefferson, and the Misfits Who Saved Free Speech by Charles Slack
• Freedom for the Thought We Hate: A Biography of the First Amendment by Anthony Lewis
• Campus Free Speech: A Pocket Guide by Cass R. Sunstein
• Free Speech: Ten Principles for a Connected World by Timothy Garton Ash
• When the Nazis Came to Skokie by Philippa Strum
• The Struggle for Student Rights: Tinker v. Des Moines and the 1960s by John W. Johnson
• Free Speech and the Repression of Dissent During World War I by Eric T. Chester
Thank you for your words and for sharing some good reads on the topic of free speech, as well as recent examples from the right. My jaw dropped over Pam Bondi's statement, though fortunately many conservatives did push back on that. I wasn't aware Trump was suing Maher, will look into that...or was that an old one? The 40,000+ people being put on lists for "celebrating" Kirk's death is another example...A lot of the people on those lists didn't do that, they just criticized him, or expressed fear of what his death might bring, etc. And as you say, there's plenty of book bans (and when I looked into that, it wasn't just for age-inappropriate explicit sexual content as many claim), etc.
Kimmel :> "... characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them ..."
May be a case of reading between the lines, but that phrasing of Kimmel's certainly looks to be him saying that Robinson was -- in fact -- "one of them". In which case, that would appear to be rather libelous at best.
Arguably those defending Kimmel might be seen as a case of them covering their butts, attempting to sweep under the carpet their own contributions to what Robinson did.
Apropos of which & ICYMI, something from Anne Coulter, "I interview a transgender about trans-adjacent Kirk assassin", the "trans-adjacent ... assassin" being the kicker:
The gleeful response to Charlie Kirk’s murder from high-profile trans activists channels the same morbid, dehumanizing rhetoric they regularly spew at ‘TERFs.’"
QUOTE: White House cuts ties with LGBT gun group after Kirk shooting
Utah Global Diplomacy’s links to radical-Left organisation Armed Queers SLC were unearthed online ....
Armed Queers SLC, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, quietly scrubbed its online presence after the shooting but has previously called for the “armed and militant protection of queer and trans communities, and all oppressed people”.
Ermiya Fanaeian, an Iranian trans woman who founded the group, said in one video circulated online: “Sometimes violence, protest and really riots and those kinds of loud rebellions must take place for tangible change.”
Who do you think benefits most from Kirk's assassination? Who's been showing the greatest degree of "glee" at his "comeuppance"? "Cui bono?" as they've been saying for some 2000 years.
Moot of course whether that's just a coincidence -- "next to therefore because of" and all that. But you might also consider a salient part of Kirk's "platform", and ask yourself whether some or all of the above "usual suspects" may have been a contributing part of that assassination:
Wikipedia: Kirk praised Trump for revoking Executive Order 14004, which had allowed transgender people to serve openly in the military, and said, "Sorry, if you're Jeff and you think you're Jill, you are not going to serve in the U.S. military. Go find something else to do."
Can’t stand the guy but I don’t watch his show and agree with just about everything you said. His ratings are bad so why not just let things unfold as they will. Ted Cruz is right.
if he has been restored thhats ghood news. But I still won't change my mind avout hollywood. The only reason they would restore him is because hollywood was getting both barrels from both sides of the spectrum that they finacially calculated what would ve in theur best interest. Like I said before Katherine (I am pretty sure I am right) there is not a moral bone in the body of anyone involved with the media and entertainment industry outside of a few people I can count using just one hand (you're on that hand)
Thorough anticipation of all the objections here! The FCC Chair's comments were very inappropriate and we need to restore the neutrality of these agencies. Not being hypocritical, I'm more than happy to point out when they do things the right doesn't like as well.
These shows are all on like 2 hours after I am asleep so I can't really watch them live anyway! Kind of like a lot of sports games: they start at like 8:30 PM when I'm about to go to sleep for the night. Late night shows start at like 10:30 or 11:30! Insane! 👴🏻
They should force the FCC to take them off the air if they’re going to do that and not do their dirty work for them.
Somewhat ironically also, it is the right which generally talks about the excessive power that these administrative state agencies like the FCC (and many others) have, and I think the right has many decent points when they argue that. Many of these agencies were created by a one-time act of congress yet are able to promulgate rules and regulations without further congressional approval indefinitely. This is of course just another example of not caring about principle and wanting to flex as much power as possible when in power, and après moi, le déluge
all that may be true but Kimmel is gone because his ratings were in the toilet and his employers were handed on a silver platter the excuse to dump him by his either stubbornness or failure to read the room before he opened his mouth.
For basically the last 10 years we have watched the dumping if Rosanne to the firing of Carlson for essentially the same thing, with tons of documented presssure from the govt to do so.
rightly or wrongly at this point the majority do not care about kimmel and sadly they also will not hear your warning.
If I man is chased by a mob and at the last minute he finds he has enough allies to withstand the mob, we won't just say good. he will scream "GET 'EM BOYS!" and that us what is happening today.
As for his ratings...given that apparently he has been restored, doesn't look like the network was trying to get rid of him. Also, he ratings have slumped, but it's still one of the higher rated shows they have.
Is there any way you can clone yourself to write more of this very sensible non-shouty prose that gets right to the issue at hand in a thoughtful and balanced way? Because that would be great! But seriously. Reading this was a nice reminder that there are some sane people out there - their voices are just getting lost in the rush to be first and be right.
I agree with you one hundred percent. MAGA needs to stop acting like democrats.
👏👏👏 Katherine, you absolutely blew me away with this principled defense of freedom of speech we need right now! I don’t like Jimmy Kimmel at all. But the FCC under Brendan Carr went too far in using government power to pressure ABC into firing Kimmel. The left and the right both love free speech-when it’s for them. But when the shoe is on the other foot they say it’s fine. Both the left and the right love to use censorship against anyone they disagree with. Whether it be campus speech codes, hate speech laws, de-platforming people on social media, laws banning flag burning or the BDS Movement, or a government agency punishing a TV host for saying something they don’t like, it’s all wrong and all a violation of one’s constitutional rights!
Let’s not be hypocritical here, the right does it to even though they wouldn’t admit it. What would you call what Carr did to Kimmel, Pam Bondi calling people celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death online “hate speech”, Rep. Clay Higgins proposing a bill that would ban people’s accounts if they celebrate Mr. Kirk’s death, Donald Trump suing Bill Maher over a joke, Roy Moore suing Sacha Baron Cohen also over a joke, book bans, bans on drag queen storybook time, and laws that ban critical race theory? I’m glad you remain principled and above the partisan fray Katharine! It doesn’t matter which side it comes from, we must stand for the first amendment! If you take speech from your opponents they can turn that back on you, as we’ve seen recently with the pendulum swinging back towards the right again. Here are some great titles I’d recommend to everyone to remind us of the importance of free speech in a time it’s under attack:
• How Free Speech Saved Democracy: The Untold Story of How the First Amendment Became an Essential Tool for Securing Liberty and Social Justice by Christopher M. Finan
• Liberty’s First Crisis: Adams, Jefferson, and the Misfits Who Saved Free Speech by Charles Slack
• Freedom for the Thought We Hate: A Biography of the First Amendment by Anthony Lewis
• Campus Free Speech: A Pocket Guide by Cass R. Sunstein
• Free Speech: Ten Principles for a Connected World by Timothy Garton Ash
• When the Nazis Came to Skokie by Philippa Strum
• The Struggle for Student Rights: Tinker v. Des Moines and the 1960s by John W. Johnson
• Free Speech and the Repression of Dissent During World War I by Eric T. Chester
Thank you for your words and for sharing some good reads on the topic of free speech, as well as recent examples from the right. My jaw dropped over Pam Bondi's statement, though fortunately many conservatives did push back on that. I wasn't aware Trump was suing Maher, will look into that...or was that an old one? The 40,000+ people being put on lists for "celebrating" Kirk's death is another example...A lot of the people on those lists didn't do that, they just criticized him, or expressed fear of what his death might bring, etc. And as you say, there's plenty of book bans (and when I looked into that, it wasn't just for age-inappropriate explicit sexual content as many claim), etc.
Kimmel is back! Still a dark troubling chapter. And no idea if the local affiliates who were feeling themselves, will carry it.
Literally got the news after this went out. Curious what went on behind the scenes.
Kimmel :> "... characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them ..."
May be a case of reading between the lines, but that phrasing of Kimmel's certainly looks to be him saying that Robinson was -- in fact -- "one of them". In which case, that would appear to be rather libelous at best.
Arguably those defending Kimmel might be seen as a case of them covering their butts, attempting to sweep under the carpet their own contributions to what Robinson did.
Apropos of which & ICYMI, something from Anne Coulter, "I interview a transgender about trans-adjacent Kirk assassin", the "trans-adjacent ... assassin" being the kicker:
https://anncoulter.substack.com/p/video-i-interview-a-transgender-about
"trans-adjacent" --- sheesh.
? You don't think it apt or justified? ICYMI:
"Showing Us Their True Colours
The gleeful response to Charlie Kirk’s murder from high-profile trans activists channels the same morbid, dehumanizing rhetoric they regularly spew at ‘TERFs.’"
https://quillette.substack.com/p/showing-us-their-true-colours
And:
QUOTE: White House cuts ties with LGBT gun group after Kirk shooting
Utah Global Diplomacy’s links to radical-Left organisation Armed Queers SLC were unearthed online ....
Armed Queers SLC, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, quietly scrubbed its online presence after the shooting but has previously called for the “armed and militant protection of queer and trans communities, and all oppressed people”.
Ermiya Fanaeian, an Iranian trans woman who founded the group, said in one video circulated online: “Sometimes violence, protest and really riots and those kinds of loud rebellions must take place for tangible change.”
UNQUOTE
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2025/09/19/white-house-cuts-ties-lgbt-gun-group-kirk-shooting/
Archive link: https://archive.ph/y1unt
Who do you think benefits most from Kirk's assassination? Who's been showing the greatest degree of "glee" at his "comeuppance"? "Cui bono?" as they've been saying for some 2000 years.
Moot of course whether that's just a coincidence -- "next to therefore because of" and all that. But you might also consider a salient part of Kirk's "platform", and ask yourself whether some or all of the above "usual suspects" may have been a contributing part of that assassination:
Wikipedia: Kirk praised Trump for revoking Executive Order 14004, which had allowed transgender people to serve openly in the military, and said, "Sorry, if you're Jeff and you think you're Jill, you are not going to serve in the U.S. military. Go find something else to do."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Kirk#LGBTQ_issues
Can’t stand the guy but I don’t watch his show and agree with just about everything you said. His ratings are bad so why not just let things unfold as they will. Ted Cruz is right.
if he has been restored thhats ghood news. But I still won't change my mind avout hollywood. The only reason they would restore him is because hollywood was getting both barrels from both sides of the spectrum that they finacially calculated what would ve in theur best interest. Like I said before Katherine (I am pretty sure I am right) there is not a moral bone in the body of anyone involved with the media and entertainment industry outside of a few people I can count using just one hand (you're on that hand)
> "... there is not a moral bone in the body of anyone involved with the media and entertainment industry ..."
Yeah. No one complains until it is their own ox that is being gored. As Upton Sinclair once put it:
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/21810-it-is-difficult-to-get-a-man-to-understand-something
I'm seeing headlines that Kimmel is back now?
Thorough anticipation of all the objections here! The FCC Chair's comments were very inappropriate and we need to restore the neutrality of these agencies. Not being hypocritical, I'm more than happy to point out when they do things the right doesn't like as well.
These shows are all on like 2 hours after I am asleep so I can't really watch them live anyway! Kind of like a lot of sports games: they start at like 8:30 PM when I'm about to go to sleep for the night. Late night shows start at like 10:30 or 11:30! Insane! 👴🏻
Yes! My friend just sent me those headlines. Well, poor timing for my Substack I guess...but points still stand.
I agree with you, and I haven't watched these shows in years.
They should force the FCC to take them off the air if they’re going to do that and not do their dirty work for them.
Somewhat ironically also, it is the right which generally talks about the excessive power that these administrative state agencies like the FCC (and many others) have, and I think the right has many decent points when they argue that. Many of these agencies were created by a one-time act of congress yet are able to promulgate rules and regulations without further congressional approval indefinitely. This is of course just another example of not caring about principle and wanting to flex as much power as possible when in power, and après moi, le déluge
I think there's definitely areas where government has too much power.
all that may be true but Kimmel is gone because his ratings were in the toilet and his employers were handed on a silver platter the excuse to dump him by his either stubbornness or failure to read the room before he opened his mouth.
For basically the last 10 years we have watched the dumping if Rosanne to the firing of Carlson for essentially the same thing, with tons of documented presssure from the govt to do so.
rightly or wrongly at this point the majority do not care about kimmel and sadly they also will not hear your warning.
If I man is chased by a mob and at the last minute he finds he has enough allies to withstand the mob, we won't just say good. he will scream "GET 'EM BOYS!" and that us what is happening today.
Well, he’s back. lol
Yeah, that's what's happening.
As for his ratings...given that apparently he has been restored, doesn't look like the network was trying to get rid of him. Also, he ratings have slumped, but it's still one of the higher rated shows they have.
Is there any way you can clone yourself to write more of this very sensible non-shouty prose that gets right to the issue at hand in a thoughtful and balanced way? Because that would be great! But seriously. Reading this was a nice reminder that there are some sane people out there - their voices are just getting lost in the rush to be first and be right.
Thank you so much, Liz. Really appreciate your words. It means a lot. And I do wish the discourse was less partisan and more sane and thoughtful.