A good sign
the executive order that first caught my eye
Jon Rappoport says that Trump has “knocked it out of the park” with the executive orders.
Trump kept signing them all day, and into the night.
He was essentially saying, “See? All those promises I made? They’re engraved in the EOs.”
Rappoport seems to score well on the TESR and his hopefulness is encouraging, but he warns that the executive orders will of course face opposition. Vigilance is key- and one thing that I’m hoping distinguishes Trump’s second from his first presidency is a shift from hope-porn expectation and idleness to action among his supporters (jettison the Q-plan [trust and inaction]. Make America great yourself! It was good to see conservatives last night outside the jail in DC where the J6-ers are still behind bars. Those guys had better be released and quickly, or else.
The first EO that grabbed my attention was this:
Jan 20th: RESTORING FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND ENDING FEDERAL CENSORSHIP
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to: (a) secure the right of the American people to engage in constitutionally protected speech;
(b) ensure that no Federal Government officer, employee, or agent engages in or facilitates any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen;
(c) ensure that no taxpayer resources are used to engage in or facilitate any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen; and
(d) identify and take appropriate action to correct past misconduct by the Federal Government related to censorship of protected speech.
Good, Trump is signaling his commitment to stand by the 1st amendment. The problem is, he’s already signaled his contempt for the 1st amendment with Executive Order 13899—Combating Anti-Semitism, way back in December of 2019.
This order mandates the consideration of the working definition of anti-Semitism adopted on May 26, 2016, by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which states, "Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities"…
Folks, I hope it goes without saying, that regardless of your position on Israel or Jews, a perception is not a crime, nor is hate, nor is a rhetorical manifestation (words)! All of these are free speech and protected by the 1st amendment. So obviously such a policy/mandate flies in the face of our all-American, God-given right to free speech. Sure, there is wording in the document that tries to appease:
Sec. 2 (b) In considering the materials described in subsections (a)(i) and (a)(ii) of this section, agencies shall not diminish or infringe upon any right protected under Federal law or under the First Amendment. As with all other Title VI complaints, the inquiry into whether a particular act constitutes discrimination prohibited by Title VI will require a detailed analysis of the allegations.
Great, an inquiry will be conducted by a committee that decides whether or not a perception, a hateful expression, or a rhetorical manifestation constitutes discrimination.
Trump is far from alone in promoting such an obvious infringement on free speech. Consider H.R. 6090, The Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023. That act, passed in May of 2024 by the House of Representatives by a 320 yea to 91 nay margin, has the same provisions as Trump’s executive order 4 1/2 years before. So you see we have an executive and a legislative body ready and itching to curb your free speech.
But now, with yesterday’s executive order, Trump signals his commitment to free speech. I’m glad he did. Let it be a stumbling block to his own EO of 2019, and a barrier to the Senate taking up the same legislation. And let it force a legal challenge to the unconstitutional antisemitism laws already on the books at states across the country (here’s looking at you, pretty Kristi). We need to keep our eyes on this one.*
*Meanwhile, find out what kind of speech they’re going to try to make illegal, and SAY IT!
PS- Someone recently posted this scene from Idiocracy. It made me think of the Republican & Dem conventions, Hulk Hogan and ‘brainy’ hero Elon: