Friday, September 19, 2025

Charlie Kirk’s Rules of Free Speech

Drawing lines around protected speech can be tricky. But in this case, there's a clear standard any honest Republican could accept: Nobody should be pursued or punished by the government for saying the kinds of things Kirk himself said. Here's a list.

Comments

1. Blaming a murder victim for his own death.
2. Fomenting ethnic, racial, or religious animosity.
3. Declaring a group of Americans incompatible with civilization.
4. Directing sectarian panic at specific politicians.
5. Comparing your opponents to Nazis.
6. Advocating violence.
7. Invoking a religious mandate to execute people.
8. Proposing to liberate an assailant.
9. Organizing a rally that led to a violent attack.

"In the coming weeks," Saletan observes, "officials who have eulogized Kirk as an exemplar of free speech and constructive debate"Trump, Vance, Bondi, Miller, and others"plan to roll out a program to hobble, intimidate, and silence the administration's critics. In the name of thwarting violence, they'll try to impose a regime of investigations, prosecutions, tax penalties, and other harassment."

He offers some good advice:

"Each time they blur the line between speech and violence, calling somebody's words "incitement" or "terrorism," ask yourself: Did they call it that when Charlie Kirk did it? If not, fight them like ----. Nonviolently, of course."

#1 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-09-19 05:00 AM

For example, see "Charlie Kirk in his own words: prowling Blacks' and the great replacement strategy" at www.theguardian.com

#2 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-09-19 05:41 AM

Interesting Jonathan Cook essay:

"Charlie Kirk and His Killer Were Sapwned by the Same Dark Soul of US Politics:
A declining US superpower needs to rationalise its failures " glaring, monstrous crimes abroad, economic collapse at home " as a war against homegrown terrorists"
jonathancook.substack.com

#3 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-09-19 08:29 AM

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