Free Speech Isn’t Dead—Here’s the Proof in Plain Sight
- Rebel Lawson
- Sep 21
- 3 min read
Every so often, a social media thread goes viral for all the wrong reasons—and today is one of those days. You might have seen the latest eruption over Steven Bonnell II, aka Destiny, who compared a Charlie Kirk “memorial” to a Nazi rally on X (formerly Twitter), adding, “fuck anyone who wants to pretend it’s not”. Cue the outrage from every digital corner claiming society—and free speech—has gone off the rails.
The very existence of these posts, and the ability for people to double down with a chorus of rage, proves free speech is alive and well in America. These opinions are out there—sometimes toxic, often inflammatory, almost always cringe—but they are very much allowed on the internet.
Think for a moment: If “free speech was dead” as some like to claim, would you see these kinds of viral, hateful, and radical statements plastered across public social platforms? Would you see heated replies, memes, and even overtly offensive comments amassing tens of thousands of likes, reposts, and views? No. It’s because speech is protected and platforms (for now) err towards minimal moderation—unless it outright breaks the law—that this stuff floods your timeline.
Yes, Comments and Opinions Have Consequences
But, there is an important twist: free speech means you have the right to say almost anything, but you aren’t immune from the consequences. In the past two weeks alone, there has been a cascade of people getting fired for making comments about Charlie Kirk and his assassination. Over a hundred employees—from teachers and university staff to ambulance workers and corporate employees at places like Nasdaq and Office Depot—have faced firing or suspension after their social media posts about the Kirk shooting were publicized, criticized, and ultimately judged by their employers as incompatible with workplace policies or public expectations.
This is not “censorship by the government.” This is society—and specifically employers, who have every right to distance themselves from speech they regard as toxic, violent, or reputationally damaging. The First Amendment protects you from the government silencing your ideas, not from social or professional backlash if you broadcast them widely.
Why the Backlash is NOT Proof of Free Speech’s Demise
Here’s the punchline: the outrage, the firings, the hand-wringing, and even the opportunistic campaigns to “report” people to their employers—none of this proves that free speech is dead. Quite the opposite. It demonstrates the messy, complicated reality of a true marketplace of ideas. People blurt things out, others react, and then society makes judgments—sometimes harsh ones—about what is acceptable.
You can call out your employer for being overly sensitive. You can call people on the internet “delusional” for thinking free speech is dead (and, let’s be clear, if you truly believe that, you’re ignoring all the evidence to the contrary). But you cannot expect to be shielded from real-world consequences simply because you “have a right to speak.”
The internet is not a government entity—it’s the public square, amplified and unmanaged. As long as people can express themselves in the raw, sometimes ugly, sometimes noble, often idiotic ways they do every day, free speech is not just alive—it’s thriving.
So, next time you see haters, trolls, radicals, and crusaders of every agenda blasting away online, ask yourself: If speech were actually dead, would you even know what your opponents think? Would you be this angry about statements you would never be allowed to hear?
That’s the real proof speech is free. The consequences? That’s just society doing what it always has—calling out what it doesn’t want to hear, and occasionally shutting the door on those who won’t listen.
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