In America, comedy is being treated like contraband. Just a few weeks ago, Jimmy Kimmel, one of America’s most outspoken late-night hosts, was suspended from the air. Many critics accused ABC of buckling to the censorship campaign of President Donald Trump, targeting those in opposition of the party in office. This makes what may seem like a celebrity spat is actually a signal of something far more dangerous. When laughter itself becomes punishable and freedom of speech is compromised, democracy breaks down. 

This incident cannot be brushed aside as the decision of a private network. Another Washington Post report made the connection clear: “The decision…marks the Trump administration’s latest efforts to influence the US media landscape.”. This effort joins the White House’s attempt to select which journalists can access briefings. The White House Correspondents’ Association condemned this for “tearing at the independence of a free press in the United States.” From the comedy stage to the press pool, opinionated voices are being pushed from stage. 

Silencing critics like Kimmel doesn’t fight misinformation, it silences criticism. When people aren’t allowed to critique their government, they have little means to change it . This right is outlined in the Declaration of Independence: “Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it…”. Restricting the press doesn’t protect order, it shields those in power. May people misuse the justifications of censorship to silence their opponents, rather than to defend the truth. To defend the truth, people should be allowed to express contrary beliefs to that of those in office. 

Reality is that freedom of expression is messy. Comedians offend. Journalists can  make mistakes. Social platforms amplify both truth and falsehood. Yet, it is within this noisy environment that truth has the best chance to rise. When the government dictates what voices may be heard, truth suffocates. An imperfect environment allows for collective action, after all, the core of politics is the process groups of people making collective decisions. The founders of this country knew that an imperfect environment is the best place for truth to shine when they made freedom of the press the very first amendment. To erode this freedom would be to chip away at the foundation of America, and its democracy.

Totalitarianism and authoritarianism are very significant parts of world history. Authoritarianism is the enforcing of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom. For example, in Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler came to power and governed through totalitarian methods—propaganda, censorship, surveillance, terror, indoctrination, and suppression. Opposition to the Nazi regime was destroyed by outright terror and by providing fear of possible repression. Opponents of the regime were called enemies of the state and of the people. America has started on a slippery slope down the path to totalitarianism. As Americans, it is of utmost importance to recognize this fact and attempt to resolve it.

History warns us of what happens when censorship grows unchecked. Leaders who once promised freedom soon build entire propaganda states. Censorship breeds silence and silence breeds obedience. The suspicion of a late-night host may appear trivial, but it is an early warning sign. Democracy does not collapse in a single moment. It decays slowly, piece by piece, headline by headline, silence by silence. 

The question we must ask is who benefits from censorship. The answer is simple. Those in power gain protection from the scrutiny. Silent comedians eradicate satire. Restricted journalists blunt accountability. The real losers are the public, who are denied access to the full story and the unfiltered truth. 49.81% of American voters chose Trump to be the 47th POTUS. That’s around 77,303,568 Americans out of the 340.1 million Americans who turned a blind eye and voted for their dissent to be silenced because Trump won’t allow for people to publicly hold opinions different than his own. This violates democracy and the precedent set by the founding fathers.

That is why citizens must act. As people who have the ability to vote in the next presidential election, it is our sacrosanct duty to think thoroughly through who we are voting for, why we are voting, and what rights they will preserve; because apparently, the standard is so low that we have to elect a president who actually knows what the declaration of independence is.

The question is not whether censorship is happening. It is. The real question is: Will we recognize the warning signs before the microphone goes quiet, the cameras stop rolling, and the silence becomes permanent?