On June 5, 1989, one lone man of undetermined age stood in front of a column of tanks, raised his arm toward them and gestured, Stop! I am not sure how long he stood there before other people standing by whisked him out of the way. Nor am I sure what happened to him afterward, although the authorities stated they were pretty sure he got away safely. I do know that someone snapped a photograph of the moment and that the picture is now a symbol of the constant fight for freedom that must be waged everywhere, not just at Tiananmen Square.
Yesterday, the Constitution and its supporters scored a victory. We won! Jimmy Kimmel has been reinstated on ABC by parent company Disney Corporation. It was a stunningly quick victory, prompted by widespread protest and threats of boycott. Take a victory lap! Speaking freely in favor of free speech still works! But remain vigilant. This is just one victory in one battle in a long and continuing war, and we cannot let up.
What Jimmy Kimmel said that night was not an attack on Charlie Kirk, nor in any way critical of him. Kimmel expressed outrage at the violence that took Kirk away, and gave his condolences to Kirk's family. What he said next is allegedly what caused him grief. He pointed out that MAGA supporters were quick to accuse the far Left of criminal conspiracy without knowing just what the assassin's motives, or, for that matter, his politics, were. He railed against the weaponization of Kirk's death. He went on to shift his focus to President Trump, noting how insincere Trump's grief over the loss of a supposed friend was. Personally, I think that was the real reason Trump and his cronies got so upset.
It doesn't matter. Charlie Kirk once stated in public that Joe Biden should be imprisoned or perhaps sentenced to death for treason. That sounds pretty hateful to me, but it was his right to say so. Just as it was Kimmel's right to accuse MAGA of using Kirk's death to their advantage. Just as it is my right to write about it. No one should be murdered for their thoughts. No one should be prosecuted for their thoughts. Great people, great patriots have died to protect that basic, critical tenet of our system.
I think of Tiananmen Square, one of so, so many moments when people fought and died to expand human rights. In my mind's eye, I see “The Man” stopping an entire column of tanks in their tracks. It was a wonderful, hope-filled moment, but it passed, and China is still China.
This is a wonderful moment, but it will pass. It will become frozen in a photograph if no other moments follow.
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