The Patriot Post® · Klobuchar's Plan for Redlining Speech
Ignoring the First Amendment right of free speech, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced a bill that would remove Section 230 liability protection from social media companies that allow the dissemination on their platforms of “misinformation” regarding public health emergencies. Klobuchar justified her speech-squelching legislation by arguing: “Earlier this year, I called on Facebook and Twitter to remove accounts that are responsible for producing the majority of misinformation about the coronavirus, but we need a longterm solution. This legislation will hold online platforms accountable for the spread of health-related misinformation.”
This is just continuing the Left’s efforts to redline free speech and the most basic Civil Rights of all Americans.
Has Klobuchar even perused Facebook or YouTube recently? Any mention of the coronavirus will automatically produce a COVID informational disclaimer. And Twitter has been one of the most aggressive of the social media giants in stomping out COVID “misinformation,” regularly suspending the accounts of those deemed as having violated the company’s policy. In other words, Big Tech already has been heavily engaged and active in attempting to promote the Left’s “groupthink” narrative when it comes to COVID.
But for Klobuchar and the Biden administration, it’s not enough because those with other opinions are still able to share them. In fact, the real target of this anti-free speech legislation is political views the Left would not like to have to contend against. Democrats like Klobuchar simply don’t believe in the marketplace of ideas. No, it’s her way or the highway, all wrapped up in the dubious guise of protecting people from “misinformation.”
Furthermore, Big Tech is happy as a clam with this speech-squelching bill, as it would serve to limit competition. If Klobuchar’s bill were to become law (which, given the current makeup of Congress, is an unlikely prospect), smaller startup social media platforms like Parler, Gab, and Gettr — platforms that many conservatives have migrated to because of their commitment to free speech — would be forced into the same censorship, or risk being sued into oblivion.
Recall White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s comments last week: “You shouldn’t be banned from one platform and not others for providing misinformation out there.”
Meanwhile, Joe Biden continues to provide misinformation regarding the coronavirus, among a slew of other things. He erroneously claimed during Wednesday’s town hall event: “You’re not going to get COVID if you have these vaccinations. If you’re vaccinated, you’re not going to be hospitalized, you’re not going to be in the IC unit, and you’re not going to die.”
Oops. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of July 12, the official tally of fully vaccinated individuals who have been hospitalized by COVID is 5,189. Furthermore, 1,063 fully vaccinated people have died with COVID. Of course, these statics don’t reveal other factors such as advanced age and comorbidities, and it’s still a tiny sliver of the 160 million vaccinated Americans. Nevertheless, Biden’s claim was false. Literally, as he likes to say.
The Democrats’ “misinformation” gambit is intentionally and ironically misleading. They’re not interested in promoting greater access to information. Rather, they’re interested in policing language and shutting down the ability of people to voice their opposition to politically correct narratives. The Democrats are fast becoming the anti-free speech party.