Kimberley Strassel
Author, The Intimidation Game: How the Left Is Silencing Free Speech
April 2017 • Volume 46, Number 4 • Kimberley Strassel
A note from Pastor Kevin Lea follows this article
Kimberley Strassel writes the weekly “Potomac Watch” column for The Wall Street Journal, where she is also a member of the editorial board. A graduate of Princeton University, her previous positions at the Journal include news assistant in Brussels, internet reporter in London, commercial real estate reporter in New York, assistant editorial features editor, columnist for OpinionJournal.com, and senior editorial page writer. In 2013 she served as a Pulliam Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Hillsdale College, and in 2014 she was a recipient of the Bradley Prize. She is the author of The Intimidation Game: How the Left Is Silencing Free Speech.
The following is adapted from a speech delivered on April 26, 2017, at Hillsdale College’s Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship in Washington, D.C., as part of the AWC Family Foundation Lecture Series.
I like to introduce the topic of free speech with an anecdote about my children. I have three kids, ages twelve, nine, and five. They are your average, normal kids—which means they live to annoy the heck out of each other.
Last fall, sitting around the dinner table, the twelve-year-old was doing a particularly good job at this with his youngest sister. She finally grew so frustrated that she said, “Oliver, you need to stop talking—forever.” This inspired a volley of protests about free speech rights, and ended with them
To read this article in its entirety, go to: https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/lefts-war-free-speech/
Note from Pastor Kevin Lea: As the enemy of our souls (Satan) gains more and more followers in our country, the ability to proclaim the truth of God’s word with impunity will soon end. This author concludes with her suggested ways to regain free speech. Although she proposes common sense approaches to the problem she fails to realize that at least half of this country has lost any common sense (which is a gift of God that He bestows upon a God fearing culture) they may have had.
The people I talk to on the street have very little desire to repent and turn to the God of the Bible. Therefore, common sense will continue to decline and the war against God-fearing speech will continue to be waged and won by the godless until nothing is left but the coming judgment of God.
However, this does not change the fact that our Lord Jesus has commanded us to boldly speak the truth of the gospel of Jesus; we just shouldn’t expect to do so with accolades from the audience.
Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets. Luke 6:22-23 (NKJV)