The First Amendment of the Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The First Amendment has indeed protected one of the most essential rights of American citizens, ensuring that anyone—regardless of beliefs or political affiliation—can express their own ideas without fear or retribution from their government or community.
Now, that right is under attack in America. Across the political divide we can see that people using their freedom of speech are being retaliated against. For example, American Broadcasting Company (ABC) was pressured by the government to take Jimmy Kimmel off air due to political satire that was perceived as “crossing a line” on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, who a week before, was shot and killed because of the way he freely exercised his rights of speaking out about his political opinions.
Charlie Kirk is a pivotal example of the diminishing freedom of speech in our country. Kirk was a conservative political figure, known on social media for his program The Charlie Kirk Show and an organization he co-founded called Turning Point USA (TPUSA), which toured different high schools and colleges around the country for Kirk to host debates on conservative politics.
However, on September 10th, 2025, Kirk was shot and killed during a TPUSA debate event at Utah Valley University. This event shed a new light on political violence and the political divide in our country. His attempt to express his opinion was met with others who strongly disagreed with him, but the political discord escalated, ultimately leading to his assassination. Kirk’s death not only highlights the worsening political polarization in America, but also how exercising our right to freedom of speech can now lead to retribution, or even death.
Just days after Kirk’s death, American television host Jimmy Kimmel was suspended from production following his broadcast monologue commentary about President Donald Trump and his followers’ reaction to the assassination. ABC was heavily influenced by right leaning broadcast groups Sinclair and Nexstar, which, along with the Trump Administration, pressured ABC into discontinuing Kimmel’s show. They had initially demanded an apology and a donation, citing Kimmel’s comments as inappropriate and insensitive to the tragedy. The show’s removal from millions of homes nationwide sparked concerns over the infringement of free speech and the role of the government in this injustice.
Kimmel’s initial removal had been dubbed a form of corporate censorship influenced by political pressure. Trump had reportedly played a role in his removal and stated that Kimmel’s indefinite suspension was “great news for America.” Publicly, the reason for the cancellation of “The Late Show” was strictly a business decision, but many media critics and Kimmel himself question this and believe it was likely a political decision to please the Trump administration that needed to approve Paramount’s upcoming merger with Skydance.
However, some viewers argued that Kimmel’s comments crossed professional and ethical boundaries. They contend that media figures should be held accountable for inflammatory or insensitive remarks, regardless of political leaning, and that ABC’s actions were justified as a matter of maintaining respect amidst public discourse.
With these clashing viewpoints, public reaction maintained widespread and passionate. Due to public pressure and growing unrest in America after Kimmel’s removal, ABC decided to continue airing his show after a short break. Although Kimmel’s show was brought back, in reality, the record remains that he was removed for exercising his rights of free speech and freedom of press. This incident truly shows us the importance of recognizing injustices in our society and acting on them by speaking up and advocating for justice.
The events that occurred, both the Kirk shooting and the cancelling of Kimmel’s show, are not just national news stories but a striking reminder that even in this modern day and age, our essential and basic rights might not be as secure as we think. We have seen students being silenced due to their fight for justice in many instances, but one of the key times in our history was when students at a public school in Des Moines, Iowa in the 1960s planned to wear black armbands to school as a silent protest against the Vietnam War. They were punished by their principal simply for exercising their right to free speech and silent, peaceful protest. This incident resulted in the Supreme Court establishing Tinker v. Des Moines, so that students don’t “shed their constitutional rights… at the schoolhouse gate.”
But if the government and our society in general have displayed their ability to silence grown adults like Kirk and Kimmel, who express their opinions, we should be questioning how secure our rights really are to be comfortable with wearing a protest T-shirt, or organizing a peaceful protest. When the freedom to speak your mind without fear is compromised at a national level, the space for civil debate shrinks everywhere. The best way we can build ourselves up to defend against injustice is to know our rights and defend the First Amendment by engaging in discussions and participating in journalism. Remember, it’s not just about defending a single political side, but about ensuring that an essential right— the freedom to speak-—remains safe and open to all.
