Freedom of Speech: A Unifying Right until Our Perspectives Clash

By Sadie Aldaya

How did we get here?

How did we arrive at the place where freedom of speech is cherished in American culture until someone says something the other doesn’t agree with? How is it that for over 200 years, patriots have fought and died for the right for us to continue to exercise our 1^st Amendment right—even if we reveal our ignorance on an issue, say something unpopular, embarrassingly ridiculous, or counter-cultural?

Just as important…can this road be traversed in reverse?

Walk with me, and let’s ponder—Freedom of speech: A unifying right until our perspectives clash.

How Indeed?

How indeed, has the “You’re entitled to your opinion” slogan superseded the right for someone to voice one—are we even entitled to our opinion anymore? Can we turn back the crashing societal waves of mind control and behavioral modification? Can we control our minds and modify our own behavior? So many questions!

Let’s start with…

Evidence of Societal Mind Control and Behavioral Modification

We’ve all been there. It’s on the tip of your tongue, but you don’t dare say it. Perhaps you’ve felt ashamed for even thinking about it! Why? Was it sinful? No. Was it unkind? Not really. Was it true? Yes. Then why wasn’t it said?

Could it be that we didn’t want to encounter the discomfort of being scoffed at, shunned, or silenced?

Exhibit A – Conditioning of the populace through political correctness.

How did we get to the place where we must all be in lockstep when it comes to our opinions, ideas, values, and morals or face the retribution of those around us? Why is tolerance spouted from every organization and every talking head on television, but tolerance isn’t really valued, only strict adherence to the prevailing dogma?

Exhibit B – Conditioning of the population through the philosophy of intersectionality, where one’s opinions are weighted and valued based not on how they stack up against objective truth but on where their labels fall within certain categories.

How, in a free society, can the leader of the free world paint a segment of people with a broad brush, clumping their ideologies together based on their skin color, and call them the “most dangerous terrorist threat”^[1] to the nation—and not be reprimanded for it?

Exhibit C – Conditioning of the populace through propaganda of fear and hate.

The phenomenon of “Cancel Culture” cannot escape anybody’s attention. Since when do we allow abuse of power to “shut the people up?” The number of individuals who have been deplatformed and debanked is astounding!

When it first started, I think we were all stunned and paralyzed, wrestling with our cognitive dissonance, much like an onlooker who sees an impending disaster but can’t force themselves to act.

These people’s freedom of speech has been revoked. Whether we like what they say or how they say it doesn’t matter. They have a right to say it, and we have the right to hear it, support it, or denounce it.

Here is a recent list.

Alex Jones
Milo Yiannopoulos
President Donald Trump
Andrew Tate
Laura Loomer
Gavin McInnes
Gab and Parler
Enrique Tarrio
J.K. Rowling
Shane Dawson
Kevin Hart
Gina Carano
Chris Pratt
…many others

Exhibit D – Cancel Culture, “de-banking” and “de-platforming.”

These individuals have faced various forms of de-platforming, de-banking, or cancellation due to their actions or statements that sparked public outrage and led to significant consequences in their professional lives.

How did We Arrive Here?

Incrementally. Slowly. Unobtrusively. Deceptively.

They played the long game over many decades, and not enough people realized they had an opponent slipping their freedom away as they slumbered—not unlike a cautious parent weaseling an object from the grip of a sleeping child. Those who did awaken and speak up to warn of the siren’s call were gagged, silenced, and choked with the pill of “political correctness.” Others were simply pacified.

Now that decades have gone by and many have awakened, their ideas and vocalization of them are met with eye rolls and perhaps condescending utterances of “Boomers.” Their warnings are not heeded because they are viewed as generational gaps in knowledge and societal evolution.

Pastors didn’t want to make unnecessary waves for the sake of politeness and unity, so the pulpits remained silent. They rationalized and perpetrated a false sense of “love and tolerance,” a love that doesn’t disagree, point out pitfalls, warn, or correct—a love that places acceptance above all else on the altar.

What was sacrificed in its place?

Truth and the ability to say and hear it without being hurt or triggered. Worse yet, some pastors seized this opportunity to overthrow goodness and righteousness to embrace evil. This is how absolute truth was assassinated.

All of this happened for a few reasons.

The weakest, most susceptible, and malleable among us were captured first in the indoctrination camps (i.e., government schools) for more than 100 years. These eroded the Christian worldview and pumped out little ideologues for decades (the long game…remember?).
Seminaries were infiltrated… for this is where the largest opposition should have been based with fortifications of a strong Christian worldview.
Legacy Media was appropriated, for every good war commander knows you must disrupt their supply chain and communications to take over an opponent completely.
The nuclear family has eroded to the extent that most adults of child-bearing age are forgoing marriage and having children.
Hollywood aided the narrative by pumping out propaganda in story form.
National identity has been eroded and supplanted by the desire for globalization.
Technocrat capitalists and stakeholder capitalism, of course, played a role.

Where do We Go From Here?

We didn’t get to where we are overnight, and we won’t get out overnight.

Martin Niemöller was a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. At first, he sympathized with Nazi ideas, but after Hitler came to power in 1933, Niemöller became an outspoken critic of Hitler’s interference in the Protestant Church. He spent the last eight years of Nazi rule (1937 to 1945) in prisons and concentration camps.

He is famously quoted for the following:

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”^[2]

Here expressed is Niemöller’s belief that Germans had been complicit through silence amidst Nazi evils (imprisonment, persecution, and murder of millions of people). He felt this was especially true of the leaders of the Protestant churches, which were made up of Lutheran, Reformed, and United traditions.^{^[2]}

Note that he stood against what he initially supported when it conflicted with his Christian worldview. Note also his sincere ownership and regret for failing to speak sooner.

How do We Reverse the Traverse?

In sum, we ask: ‘How do we reverse the traverse?”

1. Stand for truth.

Speak the truth. Don’t tolerate lies and falsehoods. Instead, immunize yourself and your loved ones against the contagion of the culture, recognizing that our

“…weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

At the same time, we should work within our homes, churches, and communities to rebuild the walls of a Christ-centered worldview that has protected and blessed us for so long.

2. Recognize that we don’t…

“Wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

Therefore, submerse yourself in prayer and meditation.

3. Be sober about what you spend time viewing, doing, and talking about.

What do you or I spend our time viewing, doing, and talking about? Do we seek truth, beauty, goodness, wisdom, and virtue?

“…Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8

All of this takes time and commitment, but it is the only way out. In and of ourselves, we cannot moderate our minds and behavior, nor should we legislate to do so, for it is the place of the Holy Spirit to bring about the manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit. However, it is in our purview to honor the liturgy of the ordinary in our lives, provide time and silence to be “…rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith…” so that we can…

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Hm, who is the head of all principality and power.” Colossians 2:7-9

Conclusion

How did we get here?

We arrived through the consumption of a steady diet consisting of complacency, self-elevation, pride, and vigilance. This was combined with the cowardice to accept the threats of isolation and cancelation.

Can we reverse it?

Yes. this can be accomplished by identifying issues, opposing worldviews, and speaking against what is wrong and what is right.

In his poem “The Second Coming” (written shortly after WWI), William Yeats states,

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre
               The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
               Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
               Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
               The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
               The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
               The best lack all conviction, while the worst
               Are full of passionate intensity….”^[3]

Yeat’s heart was breaking for what humanity was enduring. He knew that the new worldview would eventually fall apart. Anarchy and bloodshed ensued. The best citizens lacked conviction, and the worst people possessed an intense passion for their ideas and beliefs.

In essence, the falcon could not hear the falconer.

Sound familiar?

It’s clear that Christians need to live a life of repentance, forgiveness, and prayer. Not only should we have a steady diet of the Word, but this must be coupled with discernment and alertness for what passes for culture.

We must recognize that all ideas and philosophies necessitate being captive by Christ.

Without Christ, man’s ideas have consequences. Moreover, these are often severe consequences.

If so, then we should take action.

Sadie Aldaya is the Research & Quality Assurance Specialist for Classical Conversations^® Special Projects & Policy Research Department. Sadie and her husband homeschooled for over 20 years. She served as a Classical Conversations field representative for 15 years, providing community and support for other homeschooling families. Sadie’s passions are to stop government encroachment in areas where they have no authority or jurisdiction and to see Christians return to a biblical Christ-centered worldview.

[1] Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing, “Biden Calls White Supremacy ‘Most Dangerous Terrorist Threat’ in Speech at Howard,” Politico, May 13, 2023. Accessed 6/24/2024. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/13/biden-howard-university-white-supremacy-terrorism-00096811.

[2]United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, “Martin Niemoeller First They Came for Socialists,” Holocaust Encyclopedia, Accessed 6/24/2024. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-niemoeller-first-they-came-for-the-socialists

[3] William Butler Yeats, “The Second Coming,” Poetry Foundation. Accessed 6/24/2024. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43290/the-second-coming