No American Should Be Afraid to Exercise First Amendment Rights

I hate Simon Cowell.

The right to express this opinion both personally and in print is afforded to me by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and subsequently the first of the 10 freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights.

Our government is run in accordance with specific laws that were put into place by the people to protect the rights and interests of those who inhabit the United States. For this reason, it is worrying to me and millions of others when the right to freedom of speech is brought into question because it does not align with the current administration’s goals.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk shook up the nation and brought to light many of the underlying issues that are caused by the polarizing political divide in the United States. Throughout the many different opinions on Kirk’s murder, we have seen silencing of voices on each side.

The suppression of American voices brings to question if the First Amendment is truly protected if it can be so flippantly ignored by those in power.

Freedom of speech is not the right to say whatever one wishes without being judged by others, but simply the right to speech without the fear of retaliation from the government. For those who work for private companies, their employer is well within their rights to censor who and what represents their company.

Jimmy Kimmel recently was placed on a leave of absence because of comments he made on his late-night show about Kirk. After returning on Sept. 23 he commented during his opening monologue that “(Jimmy Kimmel Live!) isn’t important — what’s important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.”

President Trump was not pleased that ABC, the network that Kimmel is employed by, did not terminate him for comments made about Kirk, saying on the Truth Social app, “The White House was told by ABC that his show was cancelled!”

The blatant desire to restrict Kimmel’s First Amendment rights should never be the goal of a president.

As an American, Trump has the right to speak about his views, but more importantly, as the leader of the free world, his responsibility is to the American people. His first and foremost goal should be to uphold the Constitution in its entirety, not to pick and choose who gets to have a voice.

The death of anyone, even someone who you do not politically align with, is a tragedy. Just as the First Amendment gives President Trump the right to speak about his desire for Kimmel to be fired, so does it give Kimmel the right to comment about whatever he may wish as long as the network he works for approves.

No American should be in fear that they cannot speak their minds. As long as our country claims to uphold the constitution, freedom of speech is protected.

Torie Price is a McPherson sophomore studying journalism the Opinion Page Editor. Follow her on Instagram.

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