The constituency for principled free speech advocacy grew smaller in 2022.
It was never that big in the first place. However, in recent years, free speech advocates benefited from a marriage of convenience with conservatives justifiably concerned about their side being censored in higher education, the media and by Big Tech. But now, some conservatives see wokism as a greater threat and censorship an expedient tool to combat it.
Perhaps that s why in April, Florida politicians enacted the Stop WOKE Act, which bans debate and discussion of eight topics related to race and sex at the state s colleges. It was only a year earlier that the same conservative Legislature passed a separate law, prohibiting colleges from censoring ideas some find uncomfortable, unwelcome, disagreeable or offensive. Support for free speech sure can deteriorate fast.
