Lena Dunham and Google Demonstrate Why Our Free Speech Culture Is Slipping Away

National Review ^ | August 8, 2017 | David French

[Mafe]

When I talk about free speech, I often ask the audience two questions. First, did you know that the Supreme Court has been steadily expanding free-speech rights? Second, do you feel freer to speak now than you did five years ago? The answers are always the same — some variation of “no” and “heck, no.”

The first assertion is undoubtedly true. Federal courts have consistently protected free speech from government interference and have been relentless in shutting down viewpoint discrimination. When government officials target speech because of a speaker’s views, they lose time and again.

At the same time, millions of Americans are extraordinarily reluctant to express even the most mainstream of (particularly) social conservative views. They’re convinced that if they do that, they’ll be publicly humiliated, investigated, and perhaps even lose their jobs. They’re convinced that outspoken liberals enjoy greater opportunity in key sectors of the economy, and if conservatives want to thrive, they best keep their opinions to themselves.

[DoodleDawg]

Since he was working in tech, his observations would certainly be relevant, as would analysis based on those observations; as would the respective numbers of men & women deeply engaged in the field and related fields.

Or not, depending on his motivations.

But again, how is his perspective in anyway an insult to his fellow employees? If he is right, it only makes the gals that have made it into the field more exceptional in a sense that has to be positive to those in that field. Those who take exception are simply "grievance" seekers.

Of course. Why should I, as a woman, take offense at being told I'm biologically inferior and unsuited for a man's profession? The very idea.

[Ohioan]

Being different does not imply being better or worse; nor does excelling or failing in a particular field say anything about a person's overall worth, beyond that they were whatever they were in that particular field.

Unless you had an identical twin or triplet, neither you nor I ever sat next to our equal in any class room. Some people are great at one thing; some at another. Some are troubled in most fields; some excel in most. The composite of each of us is different, and much human progress can be traced to the division of labor which benefits from those differences.

[Behind the Blue Wall]

They’ll end up at least settling I suspect. It’s true that you can fire for any reason, except for a bad reason, but “discrimination” is not the only bad reason. Political beliefs is another bad reason, as is in retaliation for raising a good faith concern that laws are being violated, both of which seem to apply here.

[PGR88]

who cares who wrote it? it’s the truth of it that matters...

I made this point because the author, IMHO, likes to whine about constant danger of our leftist culture, but does nothing to fight it, and obstructs those who do - especially those not in his particular GOP clique.

[dayglored]

> Outstanding post, especially the quote from Churchill.

Thanks! Glad you liked it. That Churchill quote is a favourite of mine; it's on my FR Profile Page too.