We have previously discussed free speech concerns over companies firing workers over their political viewpoints expressed on social media or other forums. A most recent controversy arose after the decision of Limited Run Games to fire community manager Kara Lynne, also known as Kara Gooch, because a trans-rights activist found that she has made critical comments about pro-trans policies. Limited Run Games declared that an employee harboring such views was a threat to a “positive and safe environment.” This entire controversy began over the fact that Lynne likes Harry Potter.
Lynne’s demise began when she made a seemingly innocent comment about being excited to play the upcoming Hogwarts Legacy. Millions feel the same way, but activists now consider anything connected with the Harry Potter series to be intolerable after author JK Rowling criticized trans-rights measures.
One of those apparently appalled by anyone expressing interest in Harry Potter was Twitter user Purple Tinker, who lacks the courage to post under his or her own name while seeking to destroy the career of another person.
Purple Tinker decided to investigate Lynne and later denounced her as a “transphobe” due to her conservative views and criticism of trans-rights policies. PT noted that Lynne follows conservative sites and figures on Twitter such as Ben Shapiro and Libs of TikTok. PT also created a dossier on Lynne of past tweets like one in which she says “if you think the # of trans crying about using a bathroom is higher than the perves [sic] using the excuse, you are what is wrong with this world.”
That apparently is all it took for Limited Run Games, which immediately fired an employee for holding conservative viewpoints. The same day that PT ran its dossier on Lynne, Limited Run tweeted that it had “investigat[ed] a situation” and that an employee had been “terminated”. This decision, Limited Run said, was made in order to “[support] an inclusive culture” and “foster a positive and safe environment for everyone”.
We have discussed numerous cases of employees and artists being fired for exercising free speech outside of the workplace. It raises a concern over a “Little Brother” problem of punishing speech. Notably, Lynne did not make any association with the company. It was PT who made that association to seek to punish this Harry Potter fan. PT has since vanished as is often the case in these anonymous drive-by cancel campaigns.
There is a growing intolerance for opposing views on the left that is being weaponized through private companies. The message is clear that expressing such views now endangers your very livelihood. Limited Run Games could have simply said that it does not require employees to confirm their political views to those of the company. Instead, it immediately yield to the flash Internet mob.
Roughly half of this country has supported conservatives and many hold these views. Indeed, many of the customers of Limited Run Games may hold these views. Yet, Limited Run Games has made it clear that, if employees hold such views, they can never speak them publicly. Imagine the uproar if companies began to fire employees for supporting trans bathroom policies or following liberal figures or sites on Twitter. That is not a problem because many on the left simply label any opposing views as hateful and unworthy of expression.
I have little knowledge of Lynne’s views but there is no indication that she sought to associate the company with those views. That required an anonymous intermeddler who knew that the company would cave rather than defend the right of all employees to hold and voice opposing viewpoints.
Limited Run Games is an interesting story. Along with its corporate parent Embracer AB, the company is deeply mired in controversy.
Even though LRG founders Douglas Bogart and Josh Fairhust cashed out bigly when they sold Limited Run Games to a Swedish company called Embracer AB in 2022, they continue to run LRG. New parent Embracer AB, one of the biggest companies you’ve never heard of, is a global multinational whose shares are publicly traded in Sweden and the US. Embracer is headed by founder and CEO Lars Wingefors, who appears to be one of the largest shareholders and is likely worth billions. Who even knew there was such a thing as a Swedish oligarch? Beatrice Forsen is Embracer’s head of Corporate Communications. It is time for them to earn their money.
Embracer has adopted a Code of Conduct that mandates fairness and transparency as the company’s guiding principles. The termination of an employee for her personal views would seem to be a clear violation of the Code of Conduct, which says that no employee shall be placed at a disadvantage or excluded because of his or her philosophy. Ironically enough, in this case, the employee appears to have been terminated for personal philosophy that aligns with the official policy of numerous Swedish experts and policymakers, who have carefully restricted the availability of puberty blocking hormones and sex reassignment surgery for what is likely a large segment of Embracer’s customers.
As a public company committed to transparency, perhaps the company’s senior management and communications team could explain whether they view the Code differently, and whether employees can count on the Embracer to a apply the code consistently and fairly among all its employees. And, in this case, to protect employees from management’s violations of the policy. While they’re at it, perhaps they could explain the management failure that allowed the employee to be wrongfully terminated, the steps that the company is taking to redress the harm to the employee, and the actions being taken to prevent future violations of the Code of Conduct by the company’s managers.
Or if it is Embracer’s and LRG’s policy to discriminate on the basis of employees’ personal philosophy, then say so out loud and amend the Code.
More information has come out that the Dutch studies, which are used as the “gold standard” for automatic affirmation of transgender children, were seriously flawed. It has also been disproven that puberty blockers are safe and reversible. The argument used to coerce parents into going along with the surgical sex reassignment of their minor children, that they will commit suicide otherwise, has also fallen apart.
It is well-documented that those who criticized the flaws in these arguments were harassed, fired, denied grants and scholarships, their papers often weren’t published, and they were otherwise punished for not falling in line with the far Left status quo.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-study-finds-methodological-flaws-and-significant-risk-of-harm-in-dutch-protocol-for-pediatric-medical-transition
Jonathan: “Gaming Free Speech” is going on all over the place. Here is an AP story out of Madison, Wisconsin. Black and Hispanic voters are up in arms over a comment by a GOP election commissioner. Robert Spindell, a white election official and who served as a fake elector for Donald Trump, sent out an email newsletter to state Republicans saying they should be “proud” of the results of last year’s mid-term elections–lower voter turnout “with major reduction happening in overwhelming Black and Hispanic areas”. In his email Spindell detailed several strategies used to lower the minority vote. He cited “Negative Black Radio Commercials”. One such ad targeted Wis. Gov. Tony Evers and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes who is Black. Evers won but Barnes narrowly lost to Sen. Ron Johnson. Spindell touted that turnout was down in Milwaukee by 37,000 voters compared to 2018. Barnes lost by just under 27,000 votes.
Now I suppose you could just attribute the lower voter turnout to just the rough and tumble of election politics. Maybe the Dems should have selected a better candidate or have done a better job of getting out the vote. But there is more to the story. Just as has occurred in other GOP controlled states, the GOP that controls the state legislature in Wisconsin has, for years, made it harder to vote. Under former Gov. Scott Walker, voter suppression was part of his agenda to hold onto power. Voter ID laws were implemented and the days and hours of voting were limited. The conservative SC in Wisconsin last year outlawed ballot drop boxes and voters cannot have someone else return their ballot. All of these measures were targeted at Black and Hispanic voters–to keep their turnout lower.
Voting is one of the quintessential exercises of “free speech”. It is at the core of our Democracy. I live in a state where vote-by-mail has been in place for years–even before Covid-19. No voter ID laws and an abundance of drop off boxes–and no restricted voting hours. You can even get someone else to drop off your ballot. No one has successfully challenged our state’s voting laws. Trump, in all his legal challenges to the 2020 election, was never able to prove “massive election fraud”. In our Democracy you would think election officials would be encouraging a large voter turnout. Not GOP Trump fake elector Robert Spindell who thinks “gaming free speech” by making it harder for Blacks and Hispanics to vote is the path to keeping power in the hands of the white minority.
Just so you know who Dennis McIntyre is let me provide a comment he made on January 14 2023 at 5:40 P.M. “Thinkitthrough: You know nothing about brick walls. A “one brick missing wall” won’t affect the integrity of the wall. Have you heard of “weep holes”? I once built a 7ft high brick wall with missing bricks along the length of the wall so I could see my neighbor sunbathing on the other side. After 30+ years the wall is still standing. That’s because I built the wall on a solid foundation. Same with my arguments. Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall.” In his response he tried to say he was joking. He said the wall he built was still standing after thirty years. Then he said he was only speaking about a wall his neighbor built. The more Dennis speaks the more we know.
You do not seem to understand how the first amendment works.
Though I – like you find SOME of the remarks of some of those involved disturbing – even immoral.
Judgements on Morality belong to voters.
one party is trying to suppress the voters of the other party – something that happens all the time.
Obama beat Romney by supressing over 2M rust belt republican voters.
The problem occurs when Govenrment participates in ANYTHING related to encouraging or discouraging voters.
The Government may do NEITHER.
It can not make voting harder, it can not make voting easier.
Especially not when one group of voters is targeted.
The DNC, the Democratic Party and the Biden campaign using Social media to target Republicans in 2020 and 2022.
It immoral, it is wrong. it should not occur.
But it is legal and constiotutional.
The FBI or anyone in government doing the same – even tepidly – is illegal and unconstitutional.
You are free to take issue with republican or democratic election tactics at the polls.
You are NOT free to make government any part of those tactics.
I have no idea where you live.
Nor do I care.
Nor is that fact that you belief your voting laws have posed no problem – and you may well be right.
People do not cheat where the outcome is well known in advance.
All of the problems that require securing elections – voter-id laws, in person voting. are required ONLY when it is well known that elections will be close.
People do cheat when the stakes are high, the odds of influencing the results are high and the odds of getting caught are low.
The odds of election fraud in Vermont which is D+15 or Wyoming which is R+26 is near zero.
The odds in Michigan which is R+1 are enormous.
I highly doubt that your state had the totally disasterous mess than AZ had in 2020 and 2022.
At the same time some red states and lots of blue states are shifting slowly towards the other party.
In a few years your state may be a battle ground.
And then you may wish you had laws that assured secure elections.
I would further note that YOUR personal experiences do not change History.
The US has a long history of large scale voter Fraud. In the late 19th century ballots were often preprinted by political parties and voters were paid to sign them and put them in a ballot box.
The current requirements for secret ballot elections something most everywhere in the world has – including 38 states in their state constitution,
came about as a result of that election fraud.
The mess that was Florida in 2000 should have been a heads up to all of us.
As a result a bipartisan effort passed the HAV act which got rid of voting machines and punched cards.
Nearly every mechanical voting machine removed from service as a result of HAV was found to have teeth filed off to rig some election possibly decades before, and effecting elections for decades after.
Unfortunately HAV brought us block box voting terminals. Which took decades to mostly get rid of.
As to your claims – mailin and early voting are OBVIOUSLY a bad idea.
Fetterman was running 2pts behind in PA because of his abysmal debate performance.
But he won (partly due to fraud) but as much do to the fact that many voters cast their ballot BEFORE learning they had voted for a potted plant.
The constitution says that Congress sets Election DAY – not election week or month.
We are supposed to vote on a single day. No system is perfect – Do you honestly think there would not be a red tsunami if the 2022 elections were held today ?
Both parties try to optimize their chances of winning an election on a specific day.
Absent Covid it is certain Trump would have obliterated Biden in 2020. But bitching over covid is just sour grapes.
Neither Republicans nor democrats control nature.
But using Covid to destroy election laws was IMMORAL.
I would further note – you say that your state does fine with all its election laws.
But you do not really know that. You just know that you are happy with the outcome.
That is not the same.
One aspect of reality that we know as a fact is that people make poorer choices the easier those choices are or the lower the cost of those choices.
Even simple polling questions – “do you support free medical care for all” polls radically different from “would you pay $100/year to provide free medical care to all”
What we are dealing with is called moral hazard. Divorce people from the cost of their decisions, or make it easy for those with little real knowledge or input to make choices – and we get worse choices.
This is not some secret or a republican plot. It is human nature.
At the founding in some states you could not vote is you did not own land.
Others have limited voting to those who pay taxes.
In one science fiction novel you could not vote if you did not complete military service.
The fact is making voting too easy assures that the choices voters will make are worse.
Jonathan: Kind of a quiet Sunday so permit me to address another “free speech” case you may have missed. Down in Conroe, Texas there is a brewing company called Southern Star. Kyle Rittenhouse, the guy whose only claim to fame is he shot 3 people, killing 2 of them in Kenosha and was acquitted of the killings. Rittenhouse was slated to speak at the brewery at the end of the month on the topic “Rally Against Censorship”. The brewery just cancelled the event with this statement: “Southern Star brewery is an apolitical organization. But we feel that this event doesn’t reflect our own values and we could not in good faith continue to rent our space for the event on 1/26”. Southern Star didn’t explain what “values” were involved here. Rittenhouse was almost in tears (like the crocodile tears that flowed when he testified at his trial) when he got the news: “It’s really disappointing to see that places continue to censor me and not allow my voice and many other voices to be heard because they bend to the woke crowd. I don’t support companies who don’t support the first Amendment”. There is no indication that a “woke crowd” pressured South Star to cancel the event. It appears poor Kyle is having trouble getting speaking gigs these days. When your venue of last resort is a brewery in Conroe, Texas ( no offense intended for the good citizens of Conroe that describe their town as a “veritable outdoor playground”) you should realize your speeches don’t have much appeal these days.
I am sure you would argue that a guy who is acquitted of murder should not lose his “free speech” rights. But you would have to admit that the First Amendment only applies to the government–not to private companies. Poor Kyle needs a lesson in the Constitution. Perhaps he would be better served by actually enrolling in a university and learn what the Constitution provides. But I guess Kyle thinks he is some kind of celebrity hero for killing those 2 people in Kenosha and should be permitted to address a topic he probably knows little about. There were a number of online responses to Kyle’s complaint. One said: “Who would want to listen to what Rittenhouse has to say on any subject?” By the way, I just book a flight to Conroe to enjoy some of Southern Star’s finest!
Southern Star is free to provide support or withdraw it as it chooses.
Rittenhouse is free to ask people to boycott them.
My guess is that Southern Star has made a mistake. Just as Disney did.
Businesses need to be sensitive to their customers. When in doubt – being apolitical is the right choice.
But My Pillow can support conservative causes and Disney can support left win nut ones.
My Pillow is doing Fine. My understanding is Disney’s losses are staggering.
Regardless – businesses are free to be political or apolitical as they think is fit.
They are even free to lie about it. And their customers are free to punish them over it.
Democrats spawned this effort to make all businesses political.
When you sew the wind you get to reap the whirlwind.
Conservative values are less toxic to consumers than progressive ones on the whole.
Rittenhouse was attacked by a criminal and pedophile just released. He was chased. They guy tried to grab his gun when he finally corned Rittenhouse. Rittenhouse shot him in obvious self defense and fled. Where he was chased by another left wing nut with a gun, who was shot by Rittenhouse while on his back on the ground with a gun aimed at him. Again obvious self defense.
The judge made only a single significant mistake – allowing this case to trial.
Every single person who Rittenhouse shot had a criminal record. Everyone was engaged in violence BEFORE chasing Rittenhouse.
Every single one was shot while chasing rittenhouse. Every singl one was shot while threatening Rittenhouse with serious bodily harm or death.
Moral – Do not chase and threaten people with an AR-15.
All you have done is demonstrate why people need guns – to defend themselves against crazed left wing nuts.
It seems Dennis supports criminals but would like to put honest individuals in jail. I have to wonder what is wrong with Dennis.
The first amendment only applies to government – such as FBI agents pressuring social media to censor one political party for the benefit of another.
Free speech however is not a constitutional right, it is a natural right found in the constitution.
“He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion… Nor is it enough that he should hear the opinions of adversaries from his own teachers, presented as they state them, and accompanied by what they offer as refutations. He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them…he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.”
― John Stuart Mill, On Liberty
Free speech is not an absolute right – nothing is.
Every place and every moment is not appropriate for speech.
But universally the suppression of one view point is harmful to all.
We know if what we beleive to be true, is true by subjecting it to the crucible of debate.
As Mill notes above – when you only know your own side – you know little of that.
It is free speech and it is censorship whether it is government doing the censorship or not.
It is unconstitutional when it is done by government.
Many things are wrong without being unconstitutional.
The salvation of free speech in America will require lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit. Thank God Donald Trump appointed over 240 federal judges and three Supreme Court justices who believe in following the Constitution.
“Lynne’s demise began when she made a seemingly innocent comment about being excited to play the upcoming Hogwarts Legacy. Millions feel the same way, but activists now consider anything connected with the Harry Potter series to be intolerable after author JK Rowling criticized trans-rights measures.”
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Behold the social credit system in practice. I’d make these companies liable for damages for breach of employment contract. Ideology has a price.
Remember Ashli Babbitt
-January 6, 2021
Remember the brave and courageous Michael Byrd, killer of an unarmed and defenseless woman, after Capitol Police encouraged and allowed people to enter the Capitol Building.
“The right to private property is absolute.
If the right to private property is not absolute, there is no right to private property and all property is public.”
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Have you ever heard of the term “eminent domain”?
I think you’re responding to the wrong post. Either that, or you’re trying to make an inapt analogy.
:Have you ever heard of the term “eminent domain”?”
Have you ever heard of government confiscation of property — aka theft under the color of the “public good.”
“Have you ever heard of the term “eminent domain?”
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Apparently, you haven’t. You pay for damages in eminent domain. Here the company walked.
That sole qualification is clear in the 5th Amendment and irrelevant in this conversation.
I admire JK Rowling for standing true. Women have struggled for decades (centuries) to gain deserved rights and yet again, here comes male dominants. Male athletes are now allowed to unfairly compete in women’s sports. In some prisons in California, a male convict need only say he is a woman in mind and he can be transferred to a women’s bock to stalk and terrorize female prisoners, most of whom are victims of sexual abuse.
What an upside down, bizarre world. Now, sexual perverts are freely terrorizing children. For example, they are pushing to change the word pedophile to “minor attracted persons.” No, they are criminal perverts who are a danger to the well-being of our children, youth and society.
Suddenly, after thousands of years of human history, the spoiled western world has this problem? This is driven by a handful of militants whose purpose is to destroy the fundamental constructs of society. How dare anyone criticize them!
This has absolutely nothing to do with reasonable people or fair debate and everything thing to do with infringement on the personal rights of rank and file citizens.
Jonathan: “Gaming Free Speech” is not just going on at gaming companies. Just look at what is happening over at the House of Representatives under GOP Speaker McCarthy.
McCarthy just booted Adam Schiff, Eric Swallwell and IIhan Omar off their respective committees. Schiff was obviously targeted for his participation in the Jan.6 Committee that showed how Trump orchestrated the insurrection that trashed the Capitol and put our Democracy in jeopardy. McCarthy cravenly caved into the MAGA wing of the party that still clings to the myth that the 2020 election was “stolen” from Trump. These election deniers now control the whip in their three-ring circus that pretends to be working for the American people. McCarthy said that Schiff was booted because he “lied to the American people time and time again”. The irony was not lost on some of us–because McCarthy has welcomed George Santos, one of greatest liars since Donald Trump, who will probably be appointed to several committees That’s a frightening thought when you think Santos might have access to top secret government documents. That’s assuming he could even get a security clearance.
So trying to silence Schiff, et. al. and “gaming free speech” appears to be the game plan for McCarthy and the House rabble on the right. Then there are other ironies. McCarthy has appointed Jim Jordan to Chair the Judiciary Committee. That will put the fox in charge of the chicken coop. Jordan was one of prime supporters of the insurrection and refused to testify before the J. 6 Committee. He even talked to the Trump WH about pardons for some of his fellow GOP House members who worked to overturn the 2020 election.
So my Q for you is this. In trying to make the “left” Dems in the House the silent opposition what does that say about what “conservatives” will do when they are in power? I suppose your followers will say turn about is fair play because when the Dems controlled the House Nancy Pelosi kept Jim Jordan and other right-wing GOP members off committees. She did but that misses the point. Aren’t the “conservatives” in the House doing exactly what they complained about when the Dems were in charge? So when you complain that “conservative” views are suppressed by some “left” conspiracy” I can only smile. My Exhibit No. 1 is what is happening in the House of Representatives!
You must have missed the Twitter files release…
Puh-leeeeze. When congressional majorities change, so do the committee assignments. The majority party gets to pick.
Perhaps you should familiarize yourself with the political experssion, “To the victors go the spoils”.
Dennis McIntyre defending Adam Schiff??? You know the guy who said he had seen proof of Trump Russian collusion with his own eyes but never provided the proof. Dennis thinks a guy like Schiff should be allowed to keep his position on the intelligence committee after the Republicans won the right to pick who they want on the committee. I smell a whiff of election denier within Dennis McIntyre’s comment. We know what smell we smell emanating from Dennis’s post. Don’t forget folks Dennis is a Lawyer. Better dial Dennis. Sounds like a new hit series.
Everyone, except you knows that Russia collusion was a hoax perpetuated by the Clinton campaign. And since Shiff said he had in his possession proof otherwise, makes him unfit to sit on any committee, much less national security. Swallowell slept with a Chinese spy, for crying out loud. The low standard you accept in your party is pathetic.
Barry Schiff is a pathological liar.
Eric Swalwell got caught banging a Chinese spy.
Ilhan Omar hates Jews.
Three fine examples of progressive diversity.
Diversity, something to celebrate.
Good ole Denny. Thanks for the daily swamp perspective. You actual fbi/cia or do they have something on you…maybe both?
Imagine someone actually believing all that crap…lol…
Oh noes, what will happen to the democracy w/o omar, schiff, and swallows?
If a person is physically male but in his mind feels like a female (or vice versa), that’s a problem with the mind. In saner times, psychiatry recognized this and treated the mind. Clown world (modern-day America) says it’s a problem with the body and seeks to change the body. See Carl Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution (2020)
https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Triumph-Modern-Self-Individualism/dp/1433556332
“If you build it, he will come.”
– Mysterious Voice, Field of Dreams
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If you demolish it, he will go.
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“If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.”
– Gordon A. Eadie
Who would ever patronize this intolerant company? Not I.
FREEDOM OF PATRONAGE
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That’s free market competition.
“Mr. Market” determines market parameters and dynamics – supply and demand – prices and velocity.
That’s precisely how free, non-communist, American markets are designed to function.
The government has no constitutional authority to force and order citizens to purchase any commodities or products.
Citizens make their own decisions on worth and value and producers adjust to that market demand.
No communist on any level of government has any power to deny the freedom and right to purchase, free enterprise and free markets.
Governmental market manipulation and coercion, from municipal building codes, compulsory solar panels and electric vehicles, to strawberry ice cream, is immutably unconstitutional.
Industries must self-regulate to avoid litigation and insolvency.
Dennis McIntyre, this post by Professor Turley is not a one only post as you infer. The Professor has presented multiple examples over many months to substantiate his claims of prejudice against conservatives. You have commented on many of his posts but somehow you try to convince us that his evidence is somehow insufficient. Why do you continue to argue your case by not considering the totality of the evidence presented by the Professor. As usual you present a one brick missing wall. Poorly constructed.
Thinkitthrough: You know nothing about brick walls. A “one brick missing wall” won’t affect the integrity of the wall. Have you heard of “weep holes”? I once built a 7ft high brick wall with missing bricks along the length of the wall so I could see my neighbor sunbathing on the other side. After 30+ years the wall is still standing. That’s because I built the wall on a solid foundation. Same with my arguments. Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall!
Dennis, I meant a twist on the one brick short of a load explanation for your post. You fail to address that there have been many occasions in which the Professor has presented ample evidence of prejudice against conservatives. Instead of addressing this obvious truth you center in on the stability of a wall if one brick is missing. As to the number of bricks missing I gave you the benefit of the doubt. In my assessment I was mistaken on the numerical quantity of missing bricks. Excuse me for the underestimation of the number of bricks missing. So sad my bad.
Thinkitthrough: You know your problem? You need to lighten up–develop a sense of humor. You are way too serious. The story about the 7 ft. brick wall was all made up–although I did see a wall similarly built by a neighbor. I related the story to make a point. You try to use false analogies you know nothing about. At least I got you to admit that. But you use my made up story about the brick wall to accuse me of “perversion” and compare me to Jeffrey Toobin. Toobin was fired from the New Yorker after exposing himself on a Zoom call. I have never done that nor would I. But this just shows the extreme and bizarre attempts you will go to try to make a point. I know when I have won the argument. My opponent resorts to personal and ad hominem attacks. When will you start thinking things through before you spout off on this blog about things you know nothing about?
So Dennis, you built a peeping tom brick wall so you could see your neighbor sunbathing. You went to a great deal of work to facilitate your perversion. One must wonder what you were doing physically behind your peeping tom wall. Thank you for telling us so much more about you. I think that Dennis McIntyre is just an alias for Jeffrey Toobin. https://www.vice.com/en/article/epdgm4/new-yorker-suspends-jeffrey-toobin-for-zoom-dick-incident. Maybe you should just put the bottle down.
THE CONSTITUTION DOES NOT ESTABLISH A DICTATORSHIP OF THE JUDICIAL BRANCH
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Limited Run Games is private property.
The owner of Limited Run Games enjoys the 5th Amendment right to private property.
Only the owner has the power to “claim or exercise” dominion over Limited Run Games.
Only the owner of Limited Run Games has the power to hire, fire, direct and pay employees.
Americans enjoy the freedom to accept or reject employment or to otherwise “pursue happiness.”
Congress has no enumerated power to “claim or exercise” dominion over Limited Run Games.
It is unconstitutional for unions to deny freedom and private property rights to owners; unions and “labor” legislation are unconstitutional.
The right to private property is absolute.
If the right to private property is not absolute, there is no right to private property and all property is public.
Justices and judges swear an oath to support the Constitution.
The judicial branch has no dictatorial power or any power to legislate, modify legislation or modify legislation through “interpretation.”
That one does not prefer or favor extant legislation does not diminish, nullify or void that legislation.
Success is not guaranteed by the Constitution, freedom is.
Karl Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto 59 years after the adoption of the Constitution because none of the principles of the Communist Manifesto were in the Constitution. Had the principles of the Communist Manifesto been in the Constitution, Karl Marx would have had no reason to write the Communist Manifesto. The principles of the Communist Manifesto were not in the Constitution then and the principles of the Communist Manifesto are not in the Constitution now.
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“[Private property is] that dominion which one man claims and exercises over the external things of the world, in exclusion of every other individual.”
– James Madison
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“…courts…must…declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void.”
“…men…do…what their powers do not authorize, [and] what they forbid.”
“[A] limited Constitution … can be preserved in practice no other way than through the medium of courts of justice, whose duty it must be to declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void. Without this, all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing … To deny this would be to affirm … that men acting by virtue of powers may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid.”
– Alexander Hamilton
Jonathan: As often happens with many of your columns we know next to nothing about all the facts surrounding the firing of Kara Lynne by Limited Run Games. But you want us to take it on faith she was fired for “holding conservative viewpoints” and agree with you that there “is a growing intolerance for opposing views on the left that is being weaponized through private companies”. You admit you have “little knowledge of Lynne’s views” and you apparently know next to nothing about “Purple Tinker” but you charge he/she lacks the “courage to post under his or her own name”. If that were the standard of credibility why do you highlight many (if not most) of the posts by those who prefer to remain anonymous on your own blog–many of which resort to “hateful” speech and even death threats? I am one of the few who use my real name on this blog. Does that give me more credibility?
I am not persuaded you have made the case that the LRG firing is part of some grand “left” conspiracy to silence “conservatives”. Such exaggerated claims play well with your followers but don’t hold up under closer scrutiny.