Tag: News Busters

14-07 Defending Free Speech | Exposing Censorship Already Happening

14-07 Defending Free Speech | Exposing Censorship Already Happening

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Show 14-07 Summary: If you don’t speak up, you’ll lose it. Free speech is under attack. And it turns out censorship is already more widespread than we’d previously believed. By the federal government, yes; by state governments, yes. But now cities? This week, it’s all about defending free speech and exposing censorship of it.

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Original Air Dates: February 17th & 18th, 2024 | Guests: Austin VanDerHeyden and Joseph Vazquez

This Week – Exposing Censorship

Two new-to-us guests this week. But both share their experiences and insights into censorship and the fight for free speech. Which the government is supposed to defend. But right now it is the worst offender when it comes to censorship. (By the way, a big win on censorship that broke after our interview. More below.)

First up is Austin VanDerHeyden from the Goldwater Institute, which is based in Phoenix Arizona. The Goldwater Institute has defended free speech and other civil liberties since 1988. But it turns out they had a city right in their own backyard that was busy spying on and censoring city employee’s free speech.

Then we talk with Joseph Vazquez from the Media Research Center, which has been America’s media watchdog against Left-Wing bias in the news since 1987. Back then it was countering and exposing the Left bias in the media. But now MRC has a new program focused on free speech and fighting censorship. Especially by Big Tech.

Because as we see with Oregon’s A.I.-powered elections monitoring and censorship program to combat whatever the democrats in charge deem to be mi-, dis-, or mal-information (MDM), Big Tech and artificial intelligence are weaponizing technology against the rights of citizens. And, again, let us remind governments, at all levels, that the role of government is defend free speech. Even and especially speech with which it disagrees. It’s role is not to determine what is acceptable or allowed.

Did you miss our previous shows about Oregon’s MDM elections monitoring and censorship program? See these shows, 13-43, 13-45, and the related show, 14-03 with True The Vote. And this article from The Daily Caller about it.

Check out the research and show notes section for our guests’ organizations, and links mentioned during the show. And some others we relied on to build the show.

News! Censorship Can Be Stopped

Thankfully, there are sensible judges still out there who recognize that the Constitution means it when it says the government’s duty is to protect free speech, not censor it. On Friday, after our interview, news broke of a big win by RFK Jr., who had sued the federal government. Which, despite its constitutional duty, agencies within the federal government have been working with Big Tech to censor whatever it didn’t like. About such things as covid, the vaccines, global warming/climate change, transgenderism and more.

See this tweet from Christian Movick for a summary. And see this article for a more complete write up on the censorship ruling.

The ruling is essentially on hold until after the bigger and broader Missouri v. Biden, which is currently at the Supreme Court, awaiting a ruling. But. This ruling prevents Biden and his gestapo agencies from working with social media companies to suppress free speech. But this definitely fires a shot across the bow of U.S.S. Censorship.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Austin VanDerHeyden (Segments 1–3) on the City of Gilbert’s Censorship

  • Austin VanDerHeyden is from the Goldwater Institute and serves as their Municipal Affairs Liaison
    • Have a problem with your city council? Or a problem with your school boards? Then contact Austin.

THIS: Austin mentioned OpenMyGovernment.org. A website to help you crack open government, with tools and resources to on how to file public records requests. Free speech dies when we remain silence.

Joseph Vazquez (Segments 4–6) on Censorship: George Soros, Big Tech, and A.I.

  • Joseph Vazquez is from the Media Research Center and serves as the associate editor for Business and Free Speech America.
  • The Media Research Center (MRC), has been fighting the Left-Wing bias in news since 1987.
  • Perhaps one of MRC’s better-known projects is News Busters. If it’s not already on your daily news sites, it should be.
  • One of MRC’s latest projects is Free Speech America. Which has its own program, Censor Track, which specifically tracks censorship by Big Tech. Meaning censorship of conservatives.Visit CensorTrack.org.
  • “Free Speech Be Damned! Soros-Funded Group Cries No First Amendment Right for So-Called Election Disinfo” (MRCNewsBusters, Joseph Vazquez,  Feb 14, 2024)

Additional Research and Related Info