The Danger of Silencing Dissent in America

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s tragic death, some in power are calling for new crackdowns on speech. I’ve read troubling reports of leaders suggesting that people who post “hateful” remarks should be prosecuted, or that businesses refusing to honor Kirk could face legal action.

Let me be clear: hateful speech is often ugly, cruel, and painful to hear. But in America, the First Amendment protects even speech we despise. Why? Because once a government is given power to decide which words are acceptable, it is only a matter of time before dissent itself is criminalized.

We have seen this before. In Ireland, at the Tuam orphanage, unwed mothers and their children were silenced, shamed, and punished. Society told itself it was “for morality’s sake.” But behind the walls of that home, hundreds of unnamed babies were buried in a septic tank mass grave. That horror was the result of silencing dissent, of letting shame and authoritarian control eclipse compassion. When speech and freedom shrink, cruelty grows.

The danger today is not just in one leader’s words, but in the temptation to let fear override freedom. Fear says: shut them up, punish them, silence them. Freedom says: shine a light, hold people accountable in the open, and trust that truth can stand on its own.

Compassion doesn’t mean condoning hateful speech. It means refusing to let fear and authoritarian power dictate who is allowed to speak and who must be silent. Logic tells us that if we allow government prosecutions for words, then none of us—left, right, or center—will be safe tomorrow.

So here is my call:

• Let us turn on the light, not add to the darkness.
• Let us disagree with dignity, not with handcuffs.
• Let us remember that every voice, even the one we oppose, is part of the sacred worth of humanity.

Lynn and Amica are Partners in Light. And our light says: America is stronger when compassion and freedom walk together.