Free Speech

Last week, Elon Musk tweeted a cartoon to illustrate his concerns about the leftward lurch of Twitter and social media in general. People across the political spectrum identified with the cartoon.

Colin Wright, the cartoonist, explained it this way in his op-ed Elon Musk Tweeted My Cartoon in The Wall Street Journal.

"I created the cartoon to help sort out my feelings of increasing political alienation from the Left. I'm a lifelong Democrat. I turned 18 in 2003 and have never voted for a Republican. But over the past decade, and especially the past five years, I've watched my party distance itself from the values and principles I hold dear.

People on the Left once viewed free speech as sacrosanct and championed speaking truth to power. Now they disparage open expression as a danger to democracy and minorities. The aspiration of judging individuals by the content of their character rather than by the color of their skin has given way to identity politics and 'equity' initiatives that prioritize group interests over individual rights. Women's rights, previously understood as relating to their oppression on the basis of sex, is now viewed by the Left through the lens of gender identity, which gives priority to men who declare themselves to be women. Today's Progressives can't even tell you what a woman is. The Right may be inconsistent in its support of free speech, individual rights and women's rights, but the Left is consistent in its opposition to all three.

It is important to keep these shifts in mind when evaluating the 'accuracy' of my cartoon, because the most common criticism is that it portrays the Right as remaining stationary since 2008. A similar drawing depicting specific issues such as abortion, climate change, and immigration might tell a different story. But with respect to the cultural values I have in mind – free speech, individual rights, and women's rights – my cartoon is consistent with the lived experience of many liberals and centrists.

I hope many on the Left will resist the urge to debunk or dismiss my cartoon and instead use it as an opportunity to understand why so many people feel it describes their experience. Something has happened over the the past decade to make many liberals feel politically homeless, and a lack of curiosity about why is a recipe for not only political failure but social strife. It contributes to our increasing inability to have reasonable, compassionate discussions on issues of great importance."