An article on the causes of the protest at the Capitol will be coming in the future, but in its wake, Silicon Valley tech giants have begun a mass censorship campaign. Twitter banned the account of the sitting President of the United States. Following the exact same playbook as the corporations used against Alex Jones, dozens of other companies followed suit, silencing the President and removing his presence on virtually every major platform. Assuming that he would move to Parler, a social media company that supports freedom of speech, the tech oligopoly proceeded to engage in even more monopolistic and anti-competitive behavior. The Parler app was wiped from the App Store and Google Play, after which Amazon announced that they would no longer host Parler on their servers. This is an open war of attrition being waged by corporations and supported by countless individuals in the United States government against one of the most fundamental human rights. The last edition of Well Regulated ended with the statement that “People who maintain the means of the use of force have an emboldened spirit and strengthened resolve to stand up and push back against forces that would seek to subjugate and destroy them before any violence is even necessary.” In other words, because the ability to use force is held by the people as a last resort, they are more willing to stand up for themselves and for their rights in the so-called “marketplace of ideas”. Is it any surprise then that, as firearms ownership has plummeted over the years, so has our national dedication to freedom of speech?
Make no mistake, this assault on your right to freedom of speech is an assault on all of your rights. Moreover, these efforts to silence and oppress dissident voices are not only coming from corporations, they are coming from the government as well. In New York, Assembly Bill A416 would allow the Governor — or anyone appointed by him — to detain anyone suspected of coming into contact with someone who may have any contagious disease. There are efforts at the federal level to bring about “counter-terrorism” legislation that many are referring to as the PATRIOT Act 2.0 as its ultimate goal would be expanding the already massive surveillance state. The articles linked above refer to Parler in a derogatory and deliberate manner such that it (and all other free speech alternative tech) will be established in the public consciousness as dangerous and “far-right”, preying upon fears stoked by a disingenuous legacy and social media establishment.
What kind of future are we headed towards when all of these entities are working in Congress to put down any political opposition and force their desires upon the people? My prediction — and we should all pray that it doesn’t come true — is that this will bring about domestic political persecution the likes of which the country has never seen. Sharing knowledge, be it in the form of writings, memes, or STL files is more necessary now than ever. It is no longer possible to sit idly on the sidelines and hope that someone else will work to solve our problems. One of my strongest criticisms of the pro-gun movement is that we are not as active and aggressive in our advocacy as the other side, leading to losses over and over again. The only way that our right to freedom of speech and our right to keep and bear arms will be enjoyed by future generations is if we take a stand now. Kick any company that tramples on your rights to the curb and embrace alternatives that stand on principle such as Gab, Telegram, Parler, and Minds. Twitter’s stock price plummeted after they banned President Trump, and that is the only way that these corporations will learn. Vote with your dollar and with your internet usage by supporting those who support you and your rights. Speak out openly and frequently so that our message cannot be ignored and the fire of liberty cannot be snuffed out.
