Dark Days for the First Amendment: It’s Less Safe to Laugh
By Don Allen for Journal of A Black Teacher The First Amendment has always been America's shield and its sword. But recently, its shield has begun to bend at the pretense of selective outrage, and its sword is only brought out when it is convenient to do so. Take two recent controversies. Jimmy Kimmel is a satirist who has pushed the boundaries of his comedy and has been canceled, losing his late-night show. What did he do to become intolerable? Did he tell a joke a little bit too close to home? Or was it merely that when comedy attacks the wrong power structure, it shifts from being simply entertainment to being seen as a "threat"? While the why is relevant, what really hits is the chilling effect: comedians are left wondering whether being funny is now a liability. At the same time, an employee of Hennepin County joked about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on her Facebook page and went further to issue a dangerous call to violence. In my opinion, her lan...