Do you remember, way back in 2016, when it was the hot move for conservatives to taunt people that didn’t agree with them as “snowflakes?” Oh, what a time that was. But today, it would seem the snowshoe is on the other foot. Here comes the Campus Free Speech and Restoration Act, introduced by a team of House reactionaries including Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01).
This bill is said to be “a response to the silencing of conservative voices across the nation,” and on the face of it, it wants to protect things that few would argue with suppressing, such as:
(A) peacefully assembling, protesting, speaking, or listening;
(B) distributing literature;
(C) carrying a sign;
(D) circulating a petition;
(E) other expressive rights guaranteed 18 under the First Amendment to the Constitution 19 of the United States, including religious rights.
But as the bill drags on, you begin to see what it really is: A pathway to lawsuits anytime a young MAGA gets their feelings hurt. The bill, which you can read here, feels reminiscent of SLAPP lawsuits in the way it seeks to clamp down and set traps for anyone who so dares to try to spare us the opinions of the young college conservative. But it also threatens to restrict Title VI funding for any university found to be in violation.
Will it pass? Probably not, but don’t get too comfy: There’s plenty more where this came from.
