Hypocrites only support free speech and protest when it matches their narratives

For a number of years, I have seen a great deal of double standards and hypocrisy regarding the first amendment, free speech, the right to assemble, and protest. Let me be clear, I lean more towards the side of free speech, even when "hate speech," than the censorship side. Censorship, even when well intentioned to fight "hate speech," is more dangerous than the allowance of "dangerous speech." The removal of open debate in society, especially on critical issues, is a slippery slope and will lead to not only poor public policy but also is a hallmark of totalitarianism. Historically speaking, control of speech and assembly by the powerful has not promoted human rights, open discussion, and growth as a society.

What I find disturbing is many 'activists,' political leaders, and media selectively supporting and condemning free speech, protest, and assembly, based on whether it aligns with their narratives or woke ideology. In the US, the US Constitution's 1st Amendment does not recognize limitations on the 1st Amendment based on whether or not the speech and assembly are woke or approved. If one reviews history, officially approved ideology and speech have always been allowed. For example, in the USSR, Maoist China, and Nazi Germany, there were all kinds of approved marches and gatherings. What is not protected in human rights and the Constitution is approved speech, but instead speech that is not approved by those in power.

During 2020, many people's right to assemble for religious reasons and familial gatherings were limited or prohibited in many locations. However, the media and government allowed mass marches for BLM including up to 200,000 people at once, saying that "racism is a public health emergency" and more important than Covid. Media and even public health institutions fell all over each other apologizing for this discrepancy. So, what this means in practice is that people were allowed to exercise their right of assembly based on whether or not their gathering matched woke ideology.

Racism is a public health emergency

In fact, more than 1,200 epidemiologists, infectious disease doctors, and other public health professionals and community stakeholders signed an open letter calling for an “anti-racist public health response to demonstrations against systemic injustice occurring during the Covid-19 pandemic.” They described the public health threat of systemic racism and described ways protesters could reduce their risk of transmitting Covid-19. Early data suggest those risk reduction strategies may have prevented an uptick in coronavirus infections, but it comes only from a handful of cities.

For many observers, this support from public health experts is contradictory, or even hypocritical: How could so many of these experts support the current protests after months of telling people to stay home, or after not supporting the protests against lockdowns? How can public health experts keep their credibility when they suggest marching in the streets is “okay” when going to church isn’t?

National Journal politics editor Josh Kraushaar, for example, tweeted that the letters reveals “how elites / ‘experts’ lose credibility. All the warnings about spreading coronavirus now immaterial — if you support the right cause.”

During the BLM and Antifa riots of 2020, whole neighborhoods were burned, people killed, neighborhoods occupied by armed people, and in Portland, months of attacks on federal buildings and officers. CNN claimed that "nobody ever said that protest was supposed to be peaceful," in reference to BLM/Antifa riots.

Portland Antifa Riots

Protest isn't meant to make you comfortable

AOC says purpose of protest is to make system uncomfortable

She continued: “The whole point of protesting is to make ppl uncomfortable. Activists take that discomfort w/ the status quo & advocate for concrete policy changes. Popular support often starts small & grows. To folks who complain protest demands make others uncomfortable... that’s the point.”

Multiple sources cited MLK during these riots, stating "Riots are the language of the unheard," referencing their non-peaceful nature.

Riots are the language of the unheard

Also, most of these protestors and even rioters were either never charged or let out on no cash bail with a slap on the wrist.

Trudeau for example marched with BLM and was very supportive:

Trudeau kneels for 9 minutes at BLM protest

But then, he condemns the trucker convoy against his own vaccine mandates as hateful, dangerous, and a "fringe minority." This despite the fact that now a majority of Canadians support the truckers.

Trudeau condemns Truckers as fringe minority, racist, and hateful





Kavanaugh protestors occupy Capitol Building

During the Kavanaugh protests, activists occupied the Capitol Building.

Since January 6th, 2021, and now the Trucker protest, they have completely flipped the narratives, calling them everything from insurrectionists to domestic terrorists. Yes, January 6th protestors occupied to Capitol. Yes, it was foolish. Yes, it was illegal and as such a "riot." But again, see above.

Also, let's look at peaceful parent protesting mask mandates and CRT at school board meetings. They have been called "domestic terrorists" and the DOJ threatened to investigate them.

Garland targets protesting parents

The hypocrites are all for occupying buildings and institutions and disrupting things, when it aligns with approved and woke narratives. But when it doesn't align, it's "domestic terrorism" and dangerous. It appears to me that these powerful organizations use and abuse "activists" and protests when it serves their purposes, cynically embracing useful ones and condemning any that threaten them. They also use the government to shut down protests they don't like.

Let me be really clear. I'm all for all of these parties to peacefully protest. I'm against double standards.

I see you conveniently left out January 6th riots at the Capitol.

Now what were you saying about hypocrites?

Actually I didn't, because it's right there in the post. HAHA.

Tell me you didn't read the post, without telling me you didn't read the post.

Again, I'm for ALL people to have the right to protest, march, and exercise free speech. I'm against double standards and hypocrisy.

originally posted by: MiddleInsite
I see you conveniently left out January 6th riots at the Capitol.

Now what were you saying about hypocrites?

originally posted by: MiddleInsite
I see you conveniently left out January 6th riots at the Capitol.

Now what were you saying about hypocrites?

Well FWIW they did have this in reference to 1/6/21

originally posted by: putnam6

originally posted by: MiddleInsite
I see you conveniently left out January 6th riots at the Capitol.

Now what were you saying about hypocrites?

Well FWIW they did have this in reference to 1/6/21

I also mentioned it in writing in the post. This respondent clearly didn't read the whole post. Also, my post isn't about specific protests, it's about double standards.

a reply to: MiddleInsite
You conveniently did not read the OP because he mentions the Jan 2th PROTEST in the middle of his post.

originally posted by: MiddleInsite
I see you conveniently left out January 6th riots at the Capitol.

Now what were you saying about hypocrites?

Uncomfortable yet? You're not supposed to be pleased or cozy during protesting, so I guess that means the trucker folks get AOCs nod of approval.

a reply to: Madviking

This poster you mention never reads anything you can research his post history all he ever wants too be is the opposition this poster and about four others all the same just controlled opposition. A fervent need to always be on the other side even if often they all look like absolute fools with assbackwards ideals.

Par for the course in many threads pathetic and sad, but what can you do??

a reply to: Madviking

the good news is those posts are always hit and run post. Never enough integrity to discuss, only whine.

originally posted by: Nyiah

originally posted by: MiddleInsite
I see you conveniently left out January 6th riots at the Capitol.

Now what were you saying about hypocrites?

Uncomfortable yet? You're not supposed to be pleased or cozy during protesting, so I guess that means the trucker folks get AOCs nod of approval.

it's totally different when it doesn't help their narrative.

originally posted by: Madviking

originally posted by: putnam6

originally posted by: MiddleInsite
I see you conveniently left out January 6th riots at the Capitol.

Now what were you saying about hypocrites?

Well FWIW they did have this in reference to 1/6/21

I also mentioned it in writing in the post. This respondent clearly didn't read the whole post. Also, my post isn't about specific protests, it's about double standards.

Yea I read it, but I thought the picture might have made it easier to make their lightbulb finally go off. All of those words and stuff might have been hard for them to understand...

a reply to: Madviking

That poster consistently leaves reactionary posts based on probably the title of a thread and does a "hit and run" never to return to answer any rebuttals.

As for your OP; well said! Anyone who doesn't see this by now is probably going by headline alone.

This is nothing new. Dig a little deeper and see how Democrat Governments violate the rights of Conservative and Religious groups. The regularly deny permits to these groups citing "security concerns". The few times that they DO allow permits, they ensure that counter groups show up and create "security issues". They don't go after the counter groups that are causing the issues, they REVOKE the initial group's permit and threaten THEM with arrest if THEY don't disperse. These "counter groups" actually receive police protection. Then the Democrat's lapdogs in the MSM portray the initial group as violent.

In 2018 I was taking my Great Niece's basketball team to watch a Women's College game. I knew the Coach and the girls were invited to the pre-game warmup, the Team meeting and the game. This was the time of the "pussy hat idiots" (PHI). Somehow the PHI's got the idea that ESPN was televising the game (they weren't) and decided to show up. As I was taking the girls to the fieldhouse I was stopped by Campus Police and told to go home. I asked why and was told that they didn't want the chance of one of the girls getting involved with the protesters and that I looked like I wouldn't take that very well. I could understand if it was a student protest, but, this was during the Winter break. I was there lawfully, invited by the University, but, I was being told to leave to protect the members of a technically illegal protest.

Democrats/liberals think everything they do is okay because in their mind they have a good reason to do it. They take this concept to the extremes and still believe it. If you are hungry stealing food is okay. In the real world that is theft and is illegal. But in liberal land its just grocery shopping. Whatever they do, they think its okay regardless of how illegal, immoral, unethical, or hateful it may be.

Right now we have half a nation of 'people of color' screaming, "White people are racist!"

Excuse me, isn't it racist to call out half of a nations people for nothing other than the color of their skin?

And because I dared to point that out - I am guilty of hate speech. No, I am guilty of being observant and telling the truth.
The truth is, you hate the truth because it clearly defines your hypocrisy.

originally posted by: SaneThinking
a reply to: Madviking

This poster you mention never reads anything you can research his post history all he ever wants too be is the opposition this poster and about four others all the same just controlled opposition. A fervent need to always be on the other side even if often they all look like absolute fools with assbackwards ideals.

Par for the course in many threads pathetic and sad, but what can you do??

Yeah, and I sense that this post triggered that poster and will trigger others.

A mirror can be uncomfortable to those who don't want to look at themselves.

The whole point of the post is to shine a light on the selective support of protests.

originally posted by: zosimov
a reply to: Madviking

That poster consistently leaves reactionary posts based on probably the title of a thread and does a "hit and run" never to return to answer any rebuttals.

As for your OP; well said! Anyone who doesn't see this by now is probably going by headline alone.

I get that a lot of people just regurgitate what their media poison of choice tells them, but anyone reasonably intelligent should be able to hear this discussion and should they be reasonable, principled people, acknowledge we can't have abject double standards.

One can disagree with the views of one protest or another, sure, or they may decide they are against ALL disruptive protests or riots. But they can't have it both ways then, supporting riots that match their ideology, then condemning others.

Correct!

Then free speech and protest are literally "fascism." You think I'm joking, or probably you already know this, but there are those claiming this. I just read people on a twitter thread calling those supporting Joe Rogan's open platform "fascist." People have been brainwashed and are becoming radicalized, including rejecting civil rights such as free speech in the name of ideology.

Free speech and protest are only valid if they support currently approved woke ideology. Otherwise it's domestic terrorism (tm).

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: Nyiah

originally posted by: MiddleInsite
I see you conveniently left out January 6th riots at the Capitol.

Now what were you saying about hypocrites?

Uncomfortable yet? You're not supposed to be pleased or cozy during protesting, so I guess that means the trucker folks get AOCs nod of approval.

it's totally different when it doesn't help their narrative.

originally posted by: MiddleInsite
I see you conveniently left out January 6th riots at the Capitol.

Now what were you saying about hypocrites?

Better go get a towel and wipe that egg off your face. We'll wait...

originally posted by: MiddleInsite
I see you conveniently left out January 6th riots at the Capitol.

Now what were you saying about hypocrites?

I am from Chicago. I have seen riots up close. I know what they look like. The thing is, they were called "mostly peaceful protests" in the news. Except the ones on Jan 6th, of course...

originally posted by: MiddleInsite
I see you conveniently left out January 6th riots at the Capitol.

Now what were you saying about hypocrites?

That embarassing moment when you think you have an argument but end up proving the point of your opponent.....