The First Amendment protects freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to petition the government. It guarantees Americans can express their ideas, gather with others, and voice concerns to the government without fear of retaliation or punishment from the government. While the government generally cannot restrict speech, some categories of speech, such as true threats, incitement to violence, and defamation, are not protected.
A teacher at Timberlane Regional High School under investigation for allegedly posting on social media that he was “glad” influential conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated has resigned, school district officials said, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.
News of the resignation comes as Manchester school officials continue their investigation into “allegations of inappropriate behavior” involving a city teacher’s alleged comments about the shooting death of Kirk earlier this month, according to the newspaper.
Freedom of speech is dead. We no longer live in a country where people can speak freely without repercussions, our current government has made it clear that any speech against President Donald Trump will be taken as a threat.
As a journalist who likes to report on HOT topics, I fear my work could be censored or worst I could face repercussions if my reporting is disliked by the current leader.
Another example that was hugely reported on and caused an uproar among many people including A list celebrities, was when Jimmy Kimmel was removed from the air for the comments about the suspect in conservative activist Charlie Kirk assassination, characterizing him as a Trump supporter and accusing the; MAGA gang of trying to politicize the murder for gain. When he returned, Kimmel emphasized that his intention “was not to make light of Kirk’s death, but rather to criticize the political exploitation of the tragedy.”
Kimmel’s job is to deliver monologues, sketches, and jokes — often poking fun at current events, politics, and pop culture. When President Trump became offended and in turn Kimmel was suspended this was in violation of the First Amendment at its core.
