NY Times Warns Americans Are Losing Their ‘Right to Speak Their Minds’ Despite Claims of ‘Tolerance’
The New York Times’ editorial board is raising the alarm over its concern that Americans are losing their ability to “speak their minds” without “fear of being shamed or shunned.” In an editorial published on Friday…
The New York Times’ editorial board is raising the alarm over its concern that Americans are losing their ability to “speak their minds” without “fear of being shamed or shunned.”
In an editorial published on Friday, the editorial board wrote, “For all the tolerance and enlightenment that modern society claims, Americans are losing hold of a fundamental right as citizens of a free country: the right to speak their minds and voice their opinions in public without fear of being shamed or shunned.”
“This social silencing, this depluralizing of America, has been evident for years, but dealing with it stirs yet more fear. It feels like a third rail, dangerous. For a strong nation and open society, that is dangerous,” it continued.
The editorial pointed the finger at “the political left and the right,” which it argued are “caught in a destructive loop of condemnation and recrimination around ‘cancel culture.'”
It went on:
“Many on the left refuse to acknowledge that cancel culture exists at all, believing that those who complain about it are offering cover for bigots to peddle hate speech. Many on the right, for all their braying about cancel culture, have embraced an even more extreme version of censoriousness as a bulwark against a rapidly changing society, with laws that would ban books, stifle teachers and discourage open discussion in classrooms.”
As a result, the article argued that Americans are “understandably confused” about “what they can say and where they can say it.”
The editorial board added, “People should be able to put forward viewpoints, ask questions and make mistakes, and take unpopular but good-faith positions on issues that society is still working through — all without fearing cancellation.”
Additionally, it highlighted a poll conducted by the Siena College and the Times’ Opinion section that found just 34% of respondents said they believe “all Americans enjoyed freedom of speech completely.” Meanwhile, 84% said they believed it was a “very serious” or “somewhat serious” problem that Americans do not speak freely due to fear.