The Truth Is Not Hate Speech — It’s What Sets Us Free
Around the world, free speech is under siege like never before. Authoritarian regimes and even so-called “modern democracies” are cracking down on truth-tellers, criminalizing opinions, and empowering bureaucrats to decide what can or cannot be spoken.
In Russia, draconian “fake news” laws have put thousands behind bars simply for contradicting state propaganda, especially on the war in Ukraine. In China and Hong Kong, “national security” pretexts are used to raid newsrooms, jail reporters, and threaten bookstore owners who dare challenge communist narratives.
Myanmar’s military junta punishes online dissent through sweeping cybersecurity laws, shutting down entire platforms to silence critics. In the Middle East, places like Jordan enforce cybercrime statutes so broad they target anyone who “insults beliefs” or shares views the state labels immoral — increasingly used against Christians speaking about cultural issues.
Across Europe, “hate speech” laws are weaponized to prosecute Christians for quoting Scripture on marriage and sexuality. In Finland, Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen faced trial simply for sharing Biblical teachings — treated as criminal “hate.” The UK’s Online Safety Act gives regulators sweeping power to erase “harmful” speech, pressuring pastors, parents, and commentators to self-censor.
Brazil’s Supreme Court now holds social media platforms legally liable for user content, pushing them to purge posts that question government orthodoxy. Australia continues expanding “vilification” and misinformation laws that could penalize moral and religious convictions, leaving Christian ministries fearing fines or jail just for preaching Biblical truths.
But make no mistake: this danger is not just “over there.” It’s happening right here in America:
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The Biden administration tried launching a “Disinformation Governance Board” under Homeland Security — a modern-day Ministry of Truth — to monitor and manage what Americans are allowed to say online.
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The Twitter Files exposed how federal agencies like the FBI, DHS, and CDC colluded with Big Tech to suppress stories about Hunter Biden’s laptop, COVID origins, and vaccine debates — directly manipulating public discourse before elections.
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Parents who dared to protest radical gender and race agendas at local school board meetings were labeled “domestic terrorists” by the National School Boards Association, prompting DOJ threats to investigate them under anti-terror statutes.
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The FBI targeted pro-life activists with dawn raids and arrests under the FACE Act, while countless violent attacks on churches and crisis pregnancy centers by abortion extremists went largely ignored by federal law enforcement.
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Christian bakers, florists, and web designers have been dragged through years of lawsuits simply for declining to create messages that violate their deeply held beliefs — forced speech masquerading as “civil rights.”
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In California, laws like AB 2098 tried to punish doctors for COVID “misinformation,” effectively making medical dissent illegal.
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State bar associations and woke law schools have threatened attorneys with professional discipline for defending conservative causes, chilling legal advocacy before it ever reaches court.
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Even comedians, podcasters, and independent journalists increasingly face bans, demonetization, or shadow bans for daring to tackle topics the cultural elite consider off-limits.
This is precisely why our founders gave us the 1st Amendment.
They didn’t include it as a polite suggestion — they enshrined it as the backbone of the American experiment, to defeat the very kinds of oppressive movements now sweeping the globe and creeping into our own Republic. They knew free speech is not just another right on a list; it’s the foundation that protects every other freedom we cherish.
Yet here in America, a growing army of politicians, bureaucrats, activist judges, corporate executives, and cultural influencers are tirelessly working to twist traditional values and Biblical truths into “hate speech.” Their aim is simple: silence opposition by law and reshape society by force.
So I’ll say it again, because it’s more urgent now than ever before:
The truth is not hate speech.
It’s what breaks the chains of socialist, communist, and fascist ideologies. It’s what sets human beings free. And it’s exactly why tyrants — no matter how slick their suits or subtle their tactics — have always feared it. That’s why we must defend it, boldly and without apology.
— Craig Bushon
The Craig Bushon Show
