Kathy Griffin and Free Speech Advocacy Hypocrisy
Kathy Griffin has now been fired from her CNN New Year’s Eve gig for her piece showing 45 with a decapitated head. I have no problems with this. CNN is a business and has to do what they feel is best for their product. What has struck me is the near universal need to suppress her speech.
I was told that the likes of Milo Yiannopoulis, Ann Coulter, Gavin McInness, and Richard Spencer literally had a right to be heard (which does not exist) because we needed to have a “constructive dialogue” with bigots in the “arena of ideas” in order to strike them down. Why does Kathy Griffin not get that same deference?
CEO at BodyPlan Inc Dwight Anthony puts it best concerning Griffin’s piece:
The truth, is that Art CAN be provocative. It can make you think and feel things that are uncomfortable for you, causing you to reflect upon and reconsider your previously-held beliefs and opinions… but that’s exactly what it SHOULD do, as it’s the entire point of Art to begin with. And so whether you perceive that a certain piece of Art is “in good taste” or not, it is completely irrelevant to its right as Art to exist freely and without censorship or restriction. Truthfully, if you only want to protect the “Speech” of things you like and agree with, then you’re part of the problem.
I just can’t get worked up over Kathy Griffin’s photo holding up a beheaded Donald Trump. Rocker Ted Nugent called President Barack Obama a “piece of shit” and a “subhuman mongrel”. He also told President Obama to “suck on hs machine gun.” He was invited to the White House by 45 and prominently featured in commercials during his campaign. It’s all protected speech and either you want to fight for it or you’re a hypocrite.