Opinion | Is Free Speech Endangered? – The New York Times

Floyd AbramsNew YorkThe writer, a First Amendment lawyer, is the author of The Soul of the First Amendment.

To the Editor:

You write, Many on the left refuse to acknowledge that cancel culture exists at all. That is correct. Cancel culture is a meme, not a reality. It is a right-wing talking point, and I am sorry to see that The Times has fallen for it.

Brian RoseBrooklyn

To the Editor:

Freedom of speech, as provided for in the First Amendment, is the cornerstone of our constitutional democracy. Its meaning and crucial importance to a free society have been and continue to be misunderstood and not sufficiently respected.

The First Amendment limits the power of any government agency to violate the right to generally express oneself, regardless of the content of the view or whether its offensive, politically incorrect or wrong. That means the government is prohibited from determining which views are permitted and which are not.

But the First Amendment does not limit the power of private, nongovernment actors. The private sector, including newspapers, private universities and businesses, have their own rights to free speech but sometimes improperly repress or punish the speech of their employees. The private sector should be encouraged to develop and enforce free expression policies that allow individuals in their employ to express views that are not job-related without fear of retaliation.

Historically, the struggle to achieve justice (e.g., civil rights, womens rights, the labor movement, L.G.B.T.Q.+) has always depended on the right to free speech. As John Lewis said, Without freedom of speech and the right to dissent, the civil rights movement would have been a bird without wings.

Norman SiegelIra GlasserNew YorkThe writers are former executive directors of the New York and American Civil Liberties Unions, respectively.

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Opinion | Is Free Speech Endangered? - The New York Times