Something occurred to me this morning.
It’s a truth that is both ridiculous and concerning, and I hate that it’s even a reality. I could write about fluffy clouds, cupcakes, and kittens and somehow, it would still be twisted into a threat.
Hypothetically, if I were to discover the cure for cancer right this very moment, I would get accused of doing it too aggressively and hurting scientists’ feelings for it, I’m quite certain.
But I’m not alone, because that’s just where we are right now as a country.
Free speech is under attack. Not in the abstract, not as a talking point, but in real, absolutely tangible ways that silence political opposition, discourage activism, and punish those who challenge power. And while many will say, “Well, that won’t happen to me,” the truth is this: if you are someone with the rare gift to speak inconvenient truths, it’s a matter of time.
When the Message is Too Polite to Punish, Target the Messenger Instead
We’ve reached a moment where it doesn’t matter how civil you are. You can be compassionate, professional, even apolitical, and you could still find yourself labeled, surveilled, or silenced. If those in power can’t argue with your message, they’ll discredit your character and make you an unreliable narrator or worse yet, “crazy.”
If they can’t discredit your character, they’ll criminalize your tone.
And if they can’t criminalize your tone, they’ll invent a reason to make you the problem.
Suddenly, that photo of a kitten becomes a “dog whistle.” Your cupcake metaphor is “coded language.” Your peaceful protest is “inciting unrest.” You’re labeled as dangerous simply by opening your mouth and speaking.
Speech is Only Free Until it’s Effective
The real threat isn’t speech that’s loud, angry, or confrontational. The real threat is speech that resonates.
That builds movements.
That names names and names the systems.
That calls for justice without apology.
That aims to put knowledge in people’s hands.
Political opposition has learned this, all too well. And instead of engaging in good-faith debate, or adapting for or embracing new ideas, they turn to suppression.
Common tactics include:
- Weaponized surveillance of social media and blog posts
- Retaliatory investigations of activists and journalists
- Legal intimidation like SLAPP suits and vague “threat” accusations
- Platform manipulation to shadow-ban or outright bury dissent
- Public shaming and misrepresentation of harmless content.
Even humor, art, and satire are no longer safe if they challenge the wrong people.
You’re Either Compliant or a Problem
What’s terrifying is how quickly “engaged citizen” becomes “troublemaker” in the eyes of the powerful. One tweet, one quote, one blog post entirely stripped of context, distorted in purpose, and suddenly you’re under fire.
Not because you lied, but because you told the truth a little too clearly for someone’s liking.
It doesn’t matter how light your tone is. You could be writing about the weather. But if it includes a metaphor, a hint of critique, or a challenge to authority, it becomes a target.
So, What Can We Do?
We speak anyway.
We build coalitions. We document everything and bring proof to the table. We refuse to let fear dictate our words or silence our stories. We protect one another when the system tries to isolate and punish us.
Because if they can punish you for cupcakes, they’ll never allow for meaningful dissent.
One Last Thing.
As someone who has had the use of Taylor Swift lyrics weaponized against her, someone who has been told that multiple people are watching her and hoping for her to make a mistake or fail, I can tell you unequivocally that free speech is not safe.
Especially if your ideas are different and in contrast of the opposition’s political stance, version of reality, or worse yet, the broken status quo.
But I can also tell you that although free speech is no longer safe, neither is silence. If political opposition can weaponize the harmless, then the only answer is to stand unapologetically in your truth, with your people beside you, and keep writing.
Even if it’s just about kittens.
