OPINION
(Editor's Note: The following column does not constitute an endorsement by Newsmax, for any political party or candidate.)
Michigan's 3rd Congressional District is a key district being targeted by both the NRCC and the DCCC.
Republicans held the seat for 50 years until 2022 when Hillary Scholten was elected.
Recent attempts by Scholten and Michigan Democrats to restrict speech they define as "offensive" and the impacts these attempts will have on other rights, such as religious freedom are worrisome!
The war on free speech is not a new battle in the United States. Since its inclusion in our Bill of Rights, American citizens have had to stand up and fight to protect the first right enshrined in our country’s most sacred document.
My home state, Michigan, has a rich history of standing up for freedom.
However, recent leaders and a shift in political power have forced our state to start chipping away at some of the freedoms our Constitution protects.
This year, Michigan’s state legislature voted to violate our rights by restricting "offensive" speech. The issue with this is what defines offensive. What is offensive to you might not be offensive to me, and vice versa.
This blurred line also puts into play religious freedom and the right to practice our faith freely.
Michigan is a very diverse state with some of our country’s largest Christian, Muslim, and Jewish populations. This diversity should be celebrated and protected. However, legislation that restricts free speech also restricts religious expression and freedom.
Violating one clause of the constitution dominos into other clauses.
In Washington, Democrats are going further, and Hillary Scholten is leading the charge.
In March, Hillary and all of her Democratic colleagues voted against H.R. 140. This resolution would prohibit federal employees — including members of Congress - from censoring speech.
Why would all Democrats, including the self-proclaimed moderate Hillary Scholten, vote against prohibiting the federal government from violating the First Amendment?
Leaders in Washington, Lansing, and state capitals across this country need to start standing up for the rights we have been guaranteed for centuries.
A lot of this started during the pandemic, but this conflict has existed since our Republic was established.
In the name of "public safety," governments nationwide shut down churches, schools, and businesses. By controlling what people do, what businesses can stay open, and how people are able to pray, our government from Washington to Lansing stood in the way of our freedoms and attacked our fundamental rights.
Now, they are at it again. Violating our right to free speech in the name of “public safety” looks different today than in 2020. Now, it is not shutting down churches or schools, it is shutting down individuals and criminalizing differences in opinion.
Washington needs to be disrupted; this corrupt system must be disrupted. We cannot allow lawmakers to continue infringing on very basic principles such as freedom of speech, religion, and even conscience.
We are a nation founded on the idea that diversity of thought and opinion triumph over feelings and emotion. We as a nation must accept that we will never agree with every single person or thought.
Instead of restricting speech, we must protect speech. I am proud to be guided by my faith. I am also cognizant that some do not believe what I believe. However, to be a leader, we must unite and build coalitions of people from all walks of life with various identities, ideas, and ideologies.
Throughout Western Michigan and our country, voters from both parties and backgrounds are worried about their rights. It's time we get over our differences and start understanding that we are a diverse and opinionated nation that has the ability to come together for the betterment of our country.
Mike Markey is currently the Republican candidate for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District.He has previously been published in Forbes, Fox News, The Daily Caller, and others.
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