Taking on the Censorship Beast
In a recent episode of American Thought Leaders, host Jan Jekielek and Dr. Aaron Kheriaty discuss the origins of totalitarianism, censorship, and antidotes to tyranny.
If you ask an inconvenient question, the Marxist or Nazi ideologues say, “You’re not part of the enlightened elites that understand the direction of history. I’m not going to debate you; I’m going to exclude you from public conversation.”
Trends in Western countries today mirror that starting point of totalitarian systems, and once people realize they’re not allowed to ask questions, they internalize those prohibitions. In the end, you don’t need concentration camps anymore. Citizens become the Gestapo or the KGB. They start silencing those who raise inconvenient questions. You’re in a prison with invisible bars without even realizing it.
When Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II in 1978, the Soviet regime was terrified. They knew he was going to return to Poland, which he did shortly after his election. And the first thing he said to the Polish people was, “Be not afraid.” Using religious truths taken from the gospels, he spoke about what it means to be a human person, rational, free, oriented toward love, and fulfilled by communion with others. He never directly criticized the regime, but everyone knew what he was doing, and there was panic in Moscow.
In this major ruling from the Fifth Circuit Court, which was reviewing the injunction that the district court had placed against the government, the court told the government, “You have to stop coercing or significantly encouraging social media companies to censor content protected by the First Amendment.”
The government appealed that decision to the Fifth Circuit Appellate Court, and the three judge panel in the Fifth Circuit upheld the injunction against the government. They ruled that the White House, the Surgeon General, the CDC, and the FBI were clearly in violation of First Amendment rights when they pressured social media companies. So even before the case goes to trial, plaintiffs have presented enough evidence that those four agencies were violating the First Amendment and that they needed to stop.
We recently petitioned the court to convert this to a class action lawsuit, which means the five of us private plaintiffs are now not just representing ourselves. We’re representing all Americans censored under this regime.
In the Missouri v. Biden case, the private plaintiffs were initially focused on COVID censorship because that’s what we were censored on. But what we’ve uncovered on discovery is that more federal agencies are involved in this censorship machinery than we thought. The range of issues goes far beyond dissidents challenging COVID policies, from foreign policy to the Ukraine War to monetary policy.
What specific adverse reactions have individuals reported experiencing after receiving the COVID-19 vaccines, and what impact does this have on their safety and efficacy?
Ccines, specifically the COVID-19 vaccines. At the time, there was limited data available and the vaccines were still undergoing trials. I expressed caution and questioned the rush to distribute the vaccines without comprehensive long-term studies. However, my views were deemed as spreading misinformation and I faced consequences for voicing my concerns.
Now, with the benefit of hindsight and further research, it is clear that my concerns were valid. The safety and efficacy of the vaccines have been called into question, and many individuals are experiencing adverse reactions. It is disheartening to see that censorship was used to suppress important discussions and hinder the free exchange of ideas.
By being a part of the Missouri v. Biden case, I hope to shed light on the dangerous precedent set by government-sponsored censorship. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and expression, yet these rights have been increasingly violated under the guise of public safety. We must remember that even in times of crisis, it is crucial to maintain open and honest discourse.
As a private plaintiff, I aim to hold the government accountable for their actions and protect the rights of individuals to question, challenge, and dissent. It is not about promoting falsehoods or spreading misinformation, but rather about fostering a culture of intellectual diversity and critical thinking. Only through allowing different perspectives to be heard and evaluated can we arrive at the truth and make informed decisions.
The battle against censorship and the fight for the preservation of freedom is an ongoing struggle. Totalitarianism begins when certain ideas are deemed unquestionable and dissenting voices are silenced. We must remain vigilant in defending our basic rights and ensuring that history does not repeat itself.
In conclusion, the recent episode of American Thought Leaders featuring Jan Jekielek and Dr. Aaron Kheriaty sheds light on the origins of totalitarianism, the dangers of censorship, and the antidotes to tyranny. The monopolization of rationality and knowledge serves as the foundation for totalitarian systems, where questioning and dissent are met with exclusion and suppression. The truth becomes the ultimate weapon against lies and falsehoods, as exemplified by Pope John Paul II’s powerful message to the Polish people. The ongoing lawsuit, Missouri v. Biden, is a critical step in pushing back against government-sponsored censorship and protecting the freedom of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment. By standing up against censorship, we uphold the principles upon which free societies are built and ensure that voices of reason and dissent are not silenced.
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