CNN and others are trying to claim that the Annapolis shooting of newspaper reporters in their office is because President Donald Trump referred to the media (primarily CNN) as an enemy of the American people.
It’s politics as usual. But there’s a deeper question, and it has to do with freedom of speech.
The premise of CNN’s accusation is: When you say “inflammatory things”, you can “make” people commit violence.
But is that really true?
If you make powerful and passionate statements in favor of a system of beliefs – even an unjust and irrational one – are you then responsible for people who choose to interpret your beliefs as a call for violence?
If so, that claim can be made about anyone. This includes the people CNN supports. The people CNN supports call Donald Trump worse names than anything President Trump has said about the media. Maxine Waters, just this week, told opponents of President Trump to go after his supporters in any way they can. Calls for violence against Trump and his supporters by people who don’t support Trump are almost daily affairs.
If CNN is right, and President Trump is somehow responsible for the Annapolis newspaper office shooting, then aren’t Maxine Waters and people like that equally responsible when leftists attack Congressmen at a baseball game or Senator Rand Paul while he’s mowing his lawn?
You can’t have it both ways, CNN Democrats. But it’s more than that. None of us can be allowed to claim that anyone, by their words alone, can make or compel someone to pull a trigger and shoot someone.
The responsibility for murdering, regardless of the motive, is in the hands of the murderer.
Claiming or suggesting that someone can “incite violence” is the preparatory step for censorship. CNN and others do not merely wish to censor President Trump and people who agree with his policies. They also wish to impeach him. They want to use every lame claim they can to justify this when they regain control of Congress next year, as they arrogantly assume they will.
Nobody remotely rational wants to live in a society where “inciting violence” is used as an excuse for government to censor speech, thoughts or ideas. We are all responsible for our actions. But our words, thoughts and ideas do not make us in any way responsible for the actions and choices of another.
Censorship by the government happens because of toxic ideas. This idea of “inciting violence” is one of the most toxic ones of all.
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