Freedom of Speech is Not Freedom From Consequence

It is almost comical how the cycle of being offended moves between the left and the right so fluidly. It was only a short time ago that the right was celebrating the backlash against Kathy Griffin for her photo shoot with a faux decapitated head of Trump (the backlash should have been over the fact that she is not in the least bit funny, but that is neither here nor there). The left cried out in defense of free speech and claimed she was being unfairly treated for expressing her views on Trump. Last week the right celebrated the NFL's new National Anthem policy of fining any players who do not show proper respect for the anthem. On the other side, the left lambasted the NFL and Trump for stifling the free speech of players. It has become a divisive topic ever since Colin Kaepernick first began his protest, and does not seem likely to end anytime soon. This brings us to ABC cancelling Roseanne yesterday. In a turn of events that should shock no one who comprehends collectivist thought and party identification, the left now celebrates ABC's actions while the right cries foul on the network for punishing free speech. While this is in no way surprising, it is no less infuriating to see identity politics dominate our society in the manner it does.

Principles are not supposed to change from situation to situation based on what is advantageous at that moment. They are what you stand by even when it puts you at a disadvantage, which is why being principled is so rare and so highly regarded. The fact that the left and right so seamlessly switched sides on an identical argument within a week's time shows how void of principle both sides are. Freedom of speech is absolute, that is beyond contestation. That freedom does not, however, absolve individuals of facing consequences for what they say or do with that freedom. If you cannot stand by what you say and accept the consequences that come from exercising your right of speech, then do not say/write/do something you are not prepared to suffer for. Our desire for the Liberty to freely exercise our Natural Rights without intrusion from outside forces is not borne out of a yearning to be free from responsibility. In fact it is the exact opposite; we desire total and complete responsibility for ourselves and our lives! Self ownership does not halt at simply owning one's labor and property completely without the State stealing from you. It is the acceptance of total responsibility for one's own life. That is why the principles of Liberty are so important that they are worth dying for. That is why we cannot abandon our principles when they are challenging to stand by, as the left and right do so blatantly on a near weekly basis.

The NFL is a private organization that has the right to enact whatever policies it sees as being in the best interest of their business. The employees of the NFL have the freedom of association to stay or leave as they see fit. I am not here to argue the merits of the National Anthem policy, I am only saying it is within the right of a private organization to have such a policy. Since the NFL is not a State entity, this is not a limit on speech backed by the threat of State violence (I am well aware that an argument could be made that the NFL is an actor of the State due to tax incentives it has received. I will not dive into that here, but I may post about it separately). ABC is a private organization that is well within its rights to cancel a TV show for any reason it deems appropriate. Once again, I am not here to argue the merits of either case, I am simply stating what private organizations are allowed to do. The market will respond accordingly and both organizations will either be rewarded or punished by it. In the meantime, lets try to set an example in the Liberty movement by holding true to our principles at all times. We will draw more people to Liberty by being an example of what rational, principled, self-owning individuals look like. Stay vigilant Liberty lovers. The fight for Liberty is never ending, only the battlefield changes.