Nothing says commitment to reform like heads on pikes. Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has attracted national attention with his violent rhetoric about “choking out” opponents and his campaigning with virulent anti-Semites like Hasan Piker. However, his comment about hoisting opponents’ heads like an “ogre on a pike” was raised during last night’s debate with Rep. Haley Stevens (D., MI.). He assured voters that he was really referring to the head of Sen. John Fetterman (D., PA.) in defending his remark. Somehow, alluding to the beheading of a staunch defender of Israel was presented as far more reasonable than mass beheadings. That is what passes for a moderate in this age of rage. Continue reading “Abdul El-Sayed: Fear Not … I Was Only Talking About Putting Fetterman’s Head on a Pike”
Author: jonathanturley
We have followed the evisceration of free speech values in the United Kingdom and other Western nations. Australia has been one of the most chilling examples of how a population can be conditioned over time to view free speech as a threat. The country now criminalizes and regulates an ever-expanding range of speech, including political and religious viewpoints. The most recent example is the Supreme Court of New South Wales upholding a conviction for ‘vilification’ after women’s rights campaigner Kirralie Smith and the publication Binary Australia referred to two transgender individuals as men due to their biological sex. That led not only to $95,000 in fines but also to a sentence of compelled speech. Continue reading “Criminal “Villification”: Australia Court Upholds Conviction, Fine, and Compelled Speech in Transgender Case”
Below is my column in the Hill on New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s “Fair Share Myth” and other fables being spread on the left to sell the public on the “warmth of collectivism.” It is storytime for socialists. These fictitious claims make Aesop look like Adam Smith.
Here is the column:
Continue reading “The Fair Share Myth and Other Socialist Fables”
An over-30-point primary loss would ordinarily produce a degree of introspection and self-reflection in a politician. Indeed, even such a humiliating defeat can produce a sense of liberation in some members who finish their terms free of pandering to extreme groups or blindly touting the party lines. Those people, however, are not Rep. Dan Goldman (D., N.Y.). Continue reading “Goldman Demands Proof of “One Case” of Immigration Obstruction…DHS Offers 7,000 in New York Alone”
Maine state Rep. James White (R-Guilford) has filed an objection to the selection of Troy Jackson by party delegates to replace Graham Platner on the ballot. The basis of the challenge is that Jackson previously lost in the primary and, under Maine law, cannot appear twice in the same election. It will be a tough case to make, but he would seemingly be making it to the perfect Secretary of State: Shenna Bellows.
Bellows, who was herself a candidate for the spot, previously adopted a wildly unfounded interpretation to try to block President Donald Trump from appearing on the ballot. In comparison, this demand is modest. Yet, the expectation is that Bellows will go from an unrestrained impressionist to a narrow textualist in this ballot controversy.
This week, the book tour for “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution” took me back to the historic Union League Club in New York City. For a history nut, the Union League is an unparalleled delight with a building and a club steeped in American history going back to its founding in 1863. I wanted to share a few photos from my stay at the private club. Continue reading “A Trip Back Through History at the Union League of New York”
There is an interesting free-speech case filed in South Carolina brought by a tattoo parlor challenging a state law that not only bars tattoo facilities from 1000 feet of churches, schools, or playgrounds, but also bans tattoos on the face, neck, or head. The case presents a common challenge for free speech advocates like myself. I have a visceral dislike for tattoos (particularly on the face), but I believe that they are a form of free expression. I, therefore, view the South Carolina law, S.C. Code Ann. § 44-34- 100, as unconstitutional under the First Amendment. (The litigants include claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and the 14th Amendment). Continue reading “Oh Lydia! The South Carolina Supreme Court Again Rules Against Tattoo Speech”
Below is my column on Fox.com on the most recent controversial decision from Chief Judge James Boasberg in Washington, D.C. While accusing President Trump of a sweeping view of his power, the court seems to have an equally expansive view of its own power.
Here is the column: Continue reading “Boasberg’s Law: Chief District Court Judge Under Renewed Scrutiny Over Pattern of Unilateral Actions”
It was my great honor to speak this week at the Nixon Presidential Library on “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.” It was the library’s anniversary, and the event was held in the library’s beautiful version of the East Room. Below is the videotape of the remarks.
Continue reading “Turley Speaks at Nixon Presidential Library on “Rage and the Republic””
The murder of British conservative icon Ann Widdecombe was barely reported when the usual suspects gathered to use her death to call for even greater censorship in the United Kingdom. The move follows Rahm Emanuel’s principle that you “never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” We saw similar moves after the killing of free speech advocates, including the Charlie Hebdo massacre. For some of the anti-free speech figures on the left, there must be a quiet sense of satisfaction to use the murder of Widdecombe, long a critic of censorship and speech regulations, as an excuse for even greater crackdowns on social media and the Internet. Continue reading “UK Politicians Call for More Speech Regulation After the Murder of Ann Widdecombe, Who Opposed Such Measures”
Below is my column on Fox.com about the growing condemnation of capitalism in the Democratic Party as establishment figures such as Gov. Gavin Newsom pander to the extreme left of their party. It is a rising mantra among those who ignore the economic foundations of liberty in our Republic, a connection expressly made by the Framers in their embrace of Adam Smith at the time of our founding. Like a game of musical chairs, champagne socialists are rushing to find a seat before the music stops in the coming elections. Ironically, only in the United States are socialist figures in the top percent of earners and own multiple homes from Bernie Sanders to Abdul El-Sayed. As Yakov Smirnoff would say, “What a country!”
Here is the column: Continue reading “The Rise of the Champagne Socialists: Democratic Leaders Join Socialists in Criticizing Capitalism”
Below is my column in The Hill on the latest spin from the left to convince Americans to abandon core constitutional institutions and values as part of a radical agenda in the upcoming elections. Those who defend our traditions, on the 250th anniversary of our Republic, are now being accused of being “nostalgic” rather than progressive. It is a nostalgia that will take on a truly tragic element if professors, pundits and politicians are successful in this effort.
Here is the column: Continue reading “Democrats Dismiss Our Constitutional Traditions as ‘Nostalgia’”
This week, Darializa Avila Chevalier was asked if there has ever been a “successful model of socialism anywhere in the world outside the United States in terms of both human rights and widespread economic justice.” The member of the Democratic Socialists of America responded by citing Sweden and Norway. It is a common false claim made by socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders and others. I address the claim head-on in Rage and the Republic. Continue reading “The DSA and the Myth of Scandinavian Socialism”
This week, the Hawaii Supreme Court just issued a truly shocking opinion that unleashed a torrent of rage and recrimination against the majority of the United States Supreme Court, including suggesting that they are de facto racists. The opinion by Justice Todd W. Eddins is devoid of judicial restraint and decorum. The fact that other justices would join in such an unhinged screed is a disgrace to the court and the Hawaii bar. Continue reading “No Mahalo for You: Hawaii Supreme Court Issues Unhinged Screed Denouncing the U.S. Supreme Court”
This week, I had the pleasure of speaking at Chautauqua, New York, the historic town about an hour and a half outside of Buffalo. The Chautauqua Institution has been an iconic American tradition for an annual gathering of art, spiritual, and educational events spread throughout its 856-acre property. I was not, however, speaking at the invitation of the Chautauqua Institution. I was brought in by the Advocates for Balance at Chautauqua (ABC), but more on that later. First, I wanted to share some of my experiences at this unique, beautiful town. Continue reading “A Gathering at the Iconic Chautauqua, New York”