The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Recently, Alex Jones, an American alt-right radio show host, was ordered to pay $965M for false claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.
Jones is famous for pushing conspiracy theories that range from the plausible to the farcical. Many of his takes are outlandish, yet his popularity post-Covid has only increased.
He represents alternative media, rather than the conventional stories peddled by the mainstream media. Also, Jones is a beacon of freedom for thousands of patriots across America.
Alex Jones is a conspiracy theorist who does not live in his mother’s basement.
Over the past decade, he has amassed a small fortune selling snake oil on his website InfoWars.
From coffee to vitamins, to even sexual performance pills, name it, Mr. Jones has probably got his hands on it.
He is as polarizing as any in the public sphere. There are those who dismiss him as a lunatic and those who champion him as a true freedom fighter.
First, a quick recap as to what Mr. Jones did.
Following the events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14th, 2012, Jones questioned whether the mass shooting even occurred.
He cited no children were murdered, and that the occurrence was staged in an attempt to pass sweeping gun reform throughout the United States.
For months, Jones stoked the flames, emboldening thousands to question the shooting. Some individuals went so far as to threaten the parents of the victims.
Sounds crazy? Welcome to America.
The real issue in play here is censorship. The Computer changed the world. With it, the internet, and the rest, as they say, is history.
With the simple click of a mouse, endless information is at your disposal. And not all of the stuff you come across is factual.
Take Jones’ own InfoWars platform. Listen to a handful of podcasts by charismatic personalities employed by Jones [him included], and you quickly discern what his company is about.
Most takes are conservative and align with the right’s ideological views. This is no different than the mainstream media’s blind allegiance to liberalism and the woke.
However, the glaring difference is that Jones is open to discourse. When someone holds an opposing view, Jones allows it. Consequently, this is what is so wrong with liberalism today.
Cancel culture is stage left, chomping on the bit for its next free-thinking victim. Regardless of what you think of Jones, he has the right to say what he believes to be true about any number of world events.
Personally, I don’t agree with how the man handled Sandy Hook.
The optics were low-class and reeked of apathy. Much of why he does, what he does, is to stir the pot.
He does this to embolden frustrated members of society, individuals who cast blame on society for their own shortcomings.
This may sound harsh, but it’s the hill I am willing to die on. In the end, this is still the United States of America, not China.
Free speech is ingrained in the very fabric of the U.S. It is why so many leave their homelands in search of a better life.
Free speech should not be singular to citizens of the land. Even radio personalities in the public sphere have this God Given right.
Alex Jones is not an elected official. Last time I checked, he does not garner a salary from our tax dollars.
As such, he has the right to say whatever he chooses, even if his opinions range from insensitive to downright grotesque.
You cannot have conditional freedom of speech. It either exists, or it does not.
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What Alex jones did was not “Free Speech”. Sandy Hook actually happened it was not a false flag. As a law enforcement official I know officers who responded there and will also be forever changed by what they saw that day! Children died and family’s were changed forever. That being said I’m not willing to give up my guns ! But What Jones did was the Equivalent of Screaming FIRE in a packed movie theater! And then being surprised when people got hurt or killed ! Jones subjected those families to even more heartache and stress and quite frankly made it worse for us guns owners . If he did that to Thomas Jefferson, he would have knocked him out! What was also insane and unfair was the monetary award against Jones ! Your right to free speech is such so long as its TRUE and it doesn’t hurt or get others killed!! Our founders wanted us to be able to criticize the Government and have our own opinions, not spread lies and get people threatened or killed with our false words! But A liar is still a liar, if you have nothing nice to say perhaps mom and Dad were right say nothing at all!
well said.