Working in George Washington’s Administration, America’s founding policies were forged through fierce and bitter rivalries between Vice President John Adams, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton.  All intellectual giants, their opposing opinions on the direction of the infant democracy were played out in media that make today’s cable news channels look restrained.  Each had a loyal “scandal sheet” newspaper operating out of their back pocket to spread malicious gossip and defamation about their political opponents. Politics got as ugly as a duel to death for Alexander Hamilton.

By the time John Adams became our second president, his longtime friendship with Thomas Jefferson had devolved into bitter animosity with the latter doing all in his power to defeat and succeed his former friend. Adams signed the Sedition Act in 1798 to criminalize “false, scandalous and malicious writing” about the government and its officials, which was seen as an assault on the First Amendment guarantee to free speech.  Using the law to prosecute opposition newspapers cost him his reelection to Jefferson in 1800, and he has borne the scorn of historians for the centuries since.  Our nation was founded on the principal that free speech and peaceful discourse make the best, albeit rocky, path to the ideal state.

Sedition is defined today by a handful of billionaire oligarchs whose political affiliations are as evident as the publishers of the founding era’s scandal sheets.  Excluding people and companies from their social media platforms will not silence anyone and will likely lead to groundbreaking jurisprudence weakening the enormous power they wield.  Courts will get an opportunity to decide if social media monopolies are private entities free to serve who they wish or public accommodations, like utilities, open to everyone.

The First Amendment protects free speech and peaceful demonstrations, both of which seem like quaint anachronisms lately.  Any patriot would agree that those who invade and destroy government property should be prosecuted fully, as should those who burn and loot private property.  Many have done so on camera and we have seen that some are the same anarchists laying siege under different flags.  Meanwhile, those who believe an election was conducted fraudulently or who think certain pandemic policies are counterproductive should be free to peacefully say so in the town square that social media represents.

The Sedition Act expired in 1801 doing nothing but sully the otherwise impeccable reputation of John Adams.  In retirement, he overcame the political acrimony and rekindled his friendship with Thomas Jefferson through fourteen years of regular correspondence.  Their renewed friendship continued until July 4, 1826, the 50^th anniversary of their momentous achievement.  On his deathbed, Adams’ final words were “Thomas Jefferson survives.”  He was unaware that his dear friend passed away hours earlier that same day. Their young democracy has survived another 196 years thus far.  May it survive further centuries through the peaceful intellectual arguments, political negotiations, and fraternal love that built the greatest country the world has ever known.

God Bless America.

#speakfreely