Trump thinks he can roll over the First Amendment
Free speech is the bedrock of American liberty. Probably you imagine it as working the same for everybody. But that’s not really the case. While the government cannot punish citizens’ speech except in specifically defined situations, elected officials and political appointees who have pledged an oath to the Constitution can be held accountable for false and otherwise deceptive speech. In other words, the First Amendment protects the people, not the politicians.
Ostensibly that means that shutting down Jimmy Kimmel was illegal as it began with a threat from FCC Chair Brendan Carr. It was also followed by President Trump announcing that since broadcast networks get licenses, perhaps those networks should lose their licenses when they criticize the president.
Moreover, it means that when President Trump lies about the 2020 Election, or when he said he did not know if he needed to uphold the Constitution, that he has broken faith with the Constitution, something his oath holds him too.
Everything about the Constitution, and especially the Bill of Rights, was designed to protect people from government, not government from people. Thus, when government behaves in untoward ways, it should be held accountable, and not just when elections roll around.
Ben Graffam, Lakeland
Conservative hypocrisy on free speech
Once again, the Republican, conservative and right-wing ideology shows that its hypocrisy knows no bounds. In their world, the clamor for free speech applies only to conservatives and not to liberals. Their condemnation of hate speech applies only to liberals, and not conservatives.
Just a few days after Charlie Kirk’s death, the Department of Justice of the United States of America removed a factual study from its website that found the “number of far-right attacks outpaces all other types of terrorism and domestic violent extremism,” that since 1990 these attacks had taken 520 lives, and that far-left attacks had taken 78 lives. Once again, this was on the website of the DOJ of the USA.
When Donald Trump calls his political opponents scum, vermin and evil, he is celebrated by conservatives. There is no justification for the killing of Charlie Kirk, but when liberals accurately publish bigoted, racist and hate-filled quotes from people like Charlie Kirk, they are condemned, vilified, relegated to a loss of jobs and subject to “cancellation” by conservatives. Will the hypocrisy ever end?
Jeff Steorts, Winter Haven
Charlie Kirk’s words on gun violence
Charlie Kirk said: “Having an armed citizenry comes with a price, and that is part of liberty. Driving comes with a price. 50,000 people die on the road every year. That’s a price. You get rid of driving, you’d have 50,000 less auto fatalities. But we have decided that the benefit of driving — speed, accessibility, mobility, having products, services — is worth the cost of 50,000 people dying on the road…
“…You will never live in a society when you have an armed citizenry and you won’t have a single gun death. That is nonsense. It’s drivel. But I am, I, I — I think it’s worth it. I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational. Nobody talks like this. They live in a complete alternate universe.”
Except the purpose of driving is utilitarian. The purpose of an AK-47 is shooting people.
I prefer my universe.
Norman Small, Winter Haven
Kirk murder highlights insecure US future
Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University while launching his “American Comeback Tour,” leaving behind a wife and two young children. His assassination has sparked widespread mourning and recognition of his impact on the conservative movement.
Charlie Kirk’s assassination is not only heartbreaking, but it calls attention to the insecure future our children and grandchildren have to look forward to.
American citizens are concerned with both political parties’ leadership not addressing real everyday concerns, and they fail to address real issues in a bipartisan, timely manner.
America’s long-standing concern has been national security. So, what is next? Our government needs to allow and encourage our military, state, city and county law enforcement to do their job while enforcing laws addressing immigration, borders, drug cartels and rampant crime. Additional concerns are the decline of our education system and the impact Big Pharma has on our healthcare system.
The USA has history protecting its citizens. To continue that history, we need secured borders and fellow citizens standing together and help make America safe and secure again.
Walt Back, Lakeland
True moral decay is demonizing political opponents
In a letter dated Sept. 17, a contributor states, “His (Charlie Kirk’s) murder . . . is a symptom of a deeper moral decay …”, then proceeds to misstate the facts.
The assassin was not a Democrat, he fit the profile of a troubled young man, influenced by the Dark-Web, 22 years old, a nihilist much like the shooter in Butler, Pennsylvania. Political violence is happening to both parties.
We need a leader with a moral compass, RFK comes to mind after the MLK assassination, Obama’s eulogy and singing “Amazing Grace” at a Charleston church is another. This is a time to come together as a country. What do we get from our deranged leader when asked “how do we get us back together?” Trump replied, “. . ., I couldn’t care less,” proceeding to blame the radicals on the left.
It’s no wonder the country is in turmoil. His aids are talking Civil War, he’s calling Democrats “scum” and “the enemy.” This is moral decay.
The question that needs to be answered is why are these young men dropping out? An answer, the elites have rigged the system and taken away hope from our younger generations.
Bruce W. Paulson, Winter Haven
What we need to do
As we live our daily lives, it’s vital that we respect one another. Differences in conversation or political views should never lead to violence. Our communities are the strongest when we can disagree without being divided.
Yet, across the nation, tragic acts of gun violence continue to shake families and communities in Tamp, Cleveland, Memphis, Minneapolis and even at an institution of higher education in Utah. Each tragedy represents not just statistics, but lives lost and families forever changed.
As of August, the United States has endured 309 mass shootings resulting in 302 deaths and more than 1,350 wounded citizens this year. These are not numbers on a page, they are children, neighbors and friends.
I believe lawmakers at the state and federal levels, Democrats and Republicans alike, can find common ground to enact stronger policies. Revisiting gun laws, enhancing background checks and prioritizing public safety are steps we must take together.
The time for unity is now. By working across differences, we can bring positive change and create safer, stronger communities.
Shandale Terrell, Lakeland
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This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Trump thinks he can roll over 1st Amendment | Voice of the People (Sept. 28, 2025)
Reporting by Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
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