Staff Reports
On Independence Day, a groundbreaking verdict upholding the First Amendment was delivered by a federal district judge in Louisiana. This momentous judgment was penned across an extensive 54-page document by Judge Terry Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana, who was appointed by Trump. With an injunction and a severe critique of the government, the judge made it apparent that the litigants in the State of Missouri vs. Biden case would succeed in most regards. My associate Bonchie provided the preliminary analysis of this verdict on Tuesday. Refer to the piece titled 'Republicans Rack up a Big Win Against Biden and for Free Speech in Missouri' for more. The following gives a sense of the importance of this verdict.
Federal Judge Destroys the Government's Argument In Favor of Censorship and Educates Them on the First Amendment https://t.co/uO7UxOQc9l
— RedState (@RedState) July 5, 2023
The Defendants
An extensive list of defendants included names as if ripped out of a phone directory. President Biden, Karine Jean-Pierre, Vivek H Murthy, Xavier Becerra, Dept of Health & Human Services, Dr. Hugh Auchincloss, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Alejandro Mayorkas, Dept of Homeland Security, Jen Easterly, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, and many more. It's quite a roster, indeed.
The Issues
The plaintiffs accused the defendants of suppressing conservative-oriented free speech on multiple subjects. They alleged governmental suppression on matters like the Hunter Biden laptop story, the lab-leak origin theory of COVID-19, discussions about the effectiveness of masks and lockdowns, the efficiency of COVID-19 vaccines, the integrity of the 2020 elections, mail-in voting security, parodies of the defendants, critical posts about the economy, and negative commentary about President Biden. A heavy load of suppression accusations!
Key Finding
Judge Doughty sternly criticized the government's actions, debunking their claim of innocent cooperation with social media companies. He chastised their efforts to stifle speech and their indirect threats to social media platforms, asserting these actions violated the First Amendment. Kudos to Judge Doughty!
Why It Is Important
Let's consider the significance of this verdict. Judge Doughty masterfully explained why the federal government should not dictate what Americans can express. He invoked the words of our Founding Fathers, underscoring that freedom of speech is the backbone of our democracy. We must resist governmental attempts to silence us, irrespective of our political beliefs. This verdict champions free speech, delivering a setback to the government's seeming transformation into an Orwellian "Ministry of Truth."
Where to Next?
What's to follow? Will the government challenge this or concede? I highly doubt they'll readily accept this outcome. This case is probably bound for the Supreme Court, and given recent judgments, the government's prospects look grim. Their argument of having good intentions while meddling with the Constitution won't likely hold up legally. Best of luck, government!
In summary, this verdict champions free speech and is a rebuke to governmental attempts at narrative control. Americans are entitled to make their own determinations of truth and falsity without governmental interference. We must hope this verdict is upheld, and our First Amendment rights continue to be safeguarded.
