Thank you Olivia. I've been watching you for years and so appreciate your courage and perspective. I'm just one person, but here's the letter I sent to Nexstar and ABC:
I am disheartened and angry that you have decided to cancel Jimmy Kimmel Live! I find it pathetic that you are bending the knee to the Trump administration as we all know they have just been waiting to find an excuse to control all major networks.
We are a democracy (so far!) and we depend on a free media to keep us informed. So please reverse your decision and stand up against this authoritarian demand. What good are your profits if we no longer will live in a free country?
You have betrayed the American public.
I will no longer be watching ANY of ABC shows, even though I have been a loyal viewer for many years.
Thank you, Olivia, for your example of bravery and integrity in these dark times for our democracy. Keep speaking and educating us and I will support you and Kimmel and Colbert, and Joy Reid, and Katie Phang, and others who have faced censors.
The Founding Fathers used Free Speech as one of the pillars of this country. In less than 8 months all the pillars lie in tatters. The sad part is not only do we not have anyone to challenge what is happening but we lack the capacity to rebuild if/when this national nightmare is over.
It is not just free speech…it is all of our freedoms! They have taken them all! Even our right to decide on our own medical choices! In less than one year, this regime has turned this country upside down. We are no longer a democracy. I’m not sure what to call it, but I don’t want to be in a country like this
Such a good article. It brings home to me what this can mean on an individual basis, if we let it. Republicans at the local level are going to take their signal from Trump. The guy I most suspect to be the one violating our civil liberties is the County Sheriff. Sheriffs already have a history of abusing power.
Interesting point about sheriffs, Cynthia. It so happens that a few rural areas where I live are pockets of red in an otherwise-blue region. Last summer, the local sheriff in one of those pockets published the names and contact info for people displaying Biden signs. The sheriff himself was running for re-election, and....despite the outcry over his actions, he won handily, after flooding the zone with his own signage and ads. Disgraceful!
Yeah. That is the really scary part. In rural, isolated areas, people don’t see anything wrong with singling out Democrats, or anyone going against the grain. Sheriffs have far too much power and always have. It’s just no one in these area usually files suit. They just move.
Or, they just keep their heads down and acquiesce.
In a suburb where I lived years ago, the police were a Gestapo force. I worked in catering and regularly got home in the wee hours. A couple times a month, I'd be pulled over because the cops found it "suspicious" that I was driving down the street at 3 AM---driving a late-model car, dressed in a full tux, mind you---looking for a parking spot.
On one night off, I was sitting at the front window of a bar, right at the city limit. A car turned off into the city and was immediately pulled over. I was puzzled, because the driver had signaled and made a correct turn. Then I realized it was an instance of DWB: driving while black. And the whole suburb knew about it. People from the big city nearby wouldn't even drive through this burg. Ex-cops admitted the police force was totally racist. But nobody did anything. I finally did move, as soon as I could afford it.
I maintain that the Resident is no longer writing his own posts. The one Olivia displays here is full of infantile venom, true, as well as some typical, incorrect capitalization. But it's written in complete, logical sentences, with mostly correct punctuation. That's not his way of writing. So....whose is it?
But, the silencing of Kimmel IS cancel culture -- an egregious example of a long-standing American practice of self-censorship by mainstream media. America has mostly escaped government censorship of news media because we haven't needed it; mainstream media censor themselves. There are exceptions -- the media eventually became uncomfortable with the Vietnam War and more recently with the chronic mendacity of the Trump administration, but most of the time they hew pretty closely to a consensus that reflects official policy. I suppose we could debate whether self-censorship is a good thing or a bad thing, but it is definitely a bad thing to pretend it doesn't exist.
I believe that Trump and crew are trying to INCITE violence. Trump
is Putin’s puppet. The more chaos in the United States, the more freedom for Putin to operate in the world while his previously strongest opponent is hamstrung by fools - and relativity a small number but placed in key positions.
To me, and feel free to call me crazy, this is the true ramp up in an effort to cancel the next election; the midterm. A blue wave would herald a significant erosion of his power and he can’t let that happen. “Violence” in the streets will be the battle cry to put a lid on our democratic birthright. When will we be prepared to bring the government to its knees if this process bears fruit? Will we be as complacent as we currently are? What course or courses of action net the most traction? Swamping our legislators with complaints? Taking to the streets en masse? Withholding tax payments? A general strike? Violence, of course, is not the answer but we may be met with such by our own government or its proxies. What are we willing to risk? My rant is rhetorical but how far down this path have people that believe in a free society thought? My wife, who is unabashedly liberal, feels that he can’t stop an election but I beg to differ. He has already sequestered and perverted many of the levers of power and we have only ourselves to rescue the republic as we have known it. Nobody else is coming to save us.
Olivia, I constantly marvel at the clarity of your thinking and your ability to convey that clarity both in the written word and the spoken word.
However, I think we all need to keep hammering home that antifa is only a word. Nothing more. Not an organization, loosely-organized or not. It’s an idea. No one can write a check to “antifa”. It’s merely a catch-all term for right-wing convenience.
Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, etc. are actual organizations. People can write checks to those organizations to support them. They are much more than ideas.
The Wikipedia article on antifa is seriously misleading. Wonder who the author(s) of that were/are…
Olivia, your eloquence and bravery never cease to amaze me.
Every day a new punch in the gut is delivered to our freedoms. Freedom of speech is for everyone. I would love if certain individuals who love wearing red hats weren’t allowed to speak. But, when we pick and choose who has the right to have his/her voice heard we endanger everyone’s freedom of speech. Have years of history not taught people anything?
Thank you for your letters Olivia. It has become abundantly clear that it is time to abandon the corporate networks, i.e. the ABC, NBC, .... of this country, and any country, and support independent journalism, detached from the compromised powers of the giant corporations, which clearly have given in to power.
Thank you Olivia for your courage and steadfast dedication to truth and democracy. Yes there is no room for despair, it all about defending your democracy and personal freedoms. Your freedom of speech should never be silenced. Stand tall fight back, Get involved with the independent media, Remember when the right wing cabal is describing the left wing , they are only telling you who they are. Remember when you point your finger at someone three fingers are pointing at you. The courts are doing marvelous work but the justices Trump has been appointing are bad news. Slowly he will erode the courts with the likes of Emil Bove and others. I understand the internal cabinet and department heads are acting like little unruly children Scott Bessent wanting to punch someone in the face. How childish. With Kash Patel , Kristi Noem, and Tulsi Gabbard ruling the roost one should be concerned with off shore terrorism.. .
On behalf of the American and Immigrant people of the United States, we are designating the MAGA Project 2025 DOGE regime, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT & RIGHT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”
Thank you Olivia. I've been watching you for years and so appreciate your courage and perspective. I'm just one person, but here's the letter I sent to Nexstar and ABC:
I am disheartened and angry that you have decided to cancel Jimmy Kimmel Live! I find it pathetic that you are bending the knee to the Trump administration as we all know they have just been waiting to find an excuse to control all major networks.
We are a democracy (so far!) and we depend on a free media to keep us informed. So please reverse your decision and stand up against this authoritarian demand. What good are your profits if we no longer will live in a free country?
You have betrayed the American public.
I will no longer be watching ANY of ABC shows, even though I have been a loyal viewer for many years.
Thank you, Olivia, for your example of bravery and integrity in these dark times for our democracy. Keep speaking and educating us and I will support you and Kimmel and Colbert, and Joy Reid, and Katie Phang, and others who have faced censors.
I know what Trump’s trying to do. I also know it’s going to fail in the end once we take back power. And yes that IS going to happen next year.
The Founding Fathers used Free Speech as one of the pillars of this country. In less than 8 months all the pillars lie in tatters. The sad part is not only do we not have anyone to challenge what is happening but we lack the capacity to rebuild if/when this national nightmare is over.
It is not just free speech…it is all of our freedoms! They have taken them all! Even our right to decide on our own medical choices! In less than one year, this regime has turned this country upside down. We are no longer a democracy. I’m not sure what to call it, but I don’t want to be in a country like this
Such a good article. It brings home to me what this can mean on an individual basis, if we let it. Republicans at the local level are going to take their signal from Trump. The guy I most suspect to be the one violating our civil liberties is the County Sheriff. Sheriffs already have a history of abusing power.
Interesting point about sheriffs, Cynthia. It so happens that a few rural areas where I live are pockets of red in an otherwise-blue region. Last summer, the local sheriff in one of those pockets published the names and contact info for people displaying Biden signs. The sheriff himself was running for re-election, and....despite the outcry over his actions, he won handily, after flooding the zone with his own signage and ads. Disgraceful!
Yeah. That is the really scary part. In rural, isolated areas, people don’t see anything wrong with singling out Democrats, or anyone going against the grain. Sheriffs have far too much power and always have. It’s just no one in these area usually files suit. They just move.
Or, they just keep their heads down and acquiesce.
In a suburb where I lived years ago, the police were a Gestapo force. I worked in catering and regularly got home in the wee hours. A couple times a month, I'd be pulled over because the cops found it "suspicious" that I was driving down the street at 3 AM---driving a late-model car, dressed in a full tux, mind you---looking for a parking spot.
On one night off, I was sitting at the front window of a bar, right at the city limit. A car turned off into the city and was immediately pulled over. I was puzzled, because the driver had signaled and made a correct turn. Then I realized it was an instance of DWB: driving while black. And the whole suburb knew about it. People from the big city nearby wouldn't even drive through this burg. Ex-cops admitted the police force was totally racist. But nobody did anything. I finally did move, as soon as I could afford it.
That is called doxxing.
Remember the Sheriff of Nottingham!
I maintain that the Resident is no longer writing his own posts. The one Olivia displays here is full of infantile venom, true, as well as some typical, incorrect capitalization. But it's written in complete, logical sentences, with mostly correct punctuation. That's not his way of writing. So....whose is it?
Miller?
I think that's some of Oddjob Cheung's work!
I'd say it's Miller in plain view, guided by the handlers deep in the shadows.
I noticed a change in his bleets too. IDK who is writing them. You can always tell when dear leader gets back on the phone.
True. And he's been mostly missing for some time now. Weeks, at least.
But, the silencing of Kimmel IS cancel culture -- an egregious example of a long-standing American practice of self-censorship by mainstream media. America has mostly escaped government censorship of news media because we haven't needed it; mainstream media censor themselves. There are exceptions -- the media eventually became uncomfortable with the Vietnam War and more recently with the chronic mendacity of the Trump administration, but most of the time they hew pretty closely to a consensus that reflects official policy. I suppose we could debate whether self-censorship is a good thing or a bad thing, but it is definitely a bad thing to pretend it doesn't exist.
Olivia - this is a very healthy post. Thank you.
I believe that Trump and crew are trying to INCITE violence. Trump
is Putin’s puppet. The more chaos in the United States, the more freedom for Putin to operate in the world while his previously strongest opponent is hamstrung by fools - and relativity a small number but placed in key positions.
To me, and feel free to call me crazy, this is the true ramp up in an effort to cancel the next election; the midterm. A blue wave would herald a significant erosion of his power and he can’t let that happen. “Violence” in the streets will be the battle cry to put a lid on our democratic birthright. When will we be prepared to bring the government to its knees if this process bears fruit? Will we be as complacent as we currently are? What course or courses of action net the most traction? Swamping our legislators with complaints? Taking to the streets en masse? Withholding tax payments? A general strike? Violence, of course, is not the answer but we may be met with such by our own government or its proxies. What are we willing to risk? My rant is rhetorical but how far down this path have people that believe in a free society thought? My wife, who is unabashedly liberal, feels that he can’t stop an election but I beg to differ. He has already sequestered and perverted many of the levers of power and we have only ourselves to rescue the republic as we have known it. Nobody else is coming to save us.
Olivia, I constantly marvel at the clarity of your thinking and your ability to convey that clarity both in the written word and the spoken word.
However, I think we all need to keep hammering home that antifa is only a word. Nothing more. Not an organization, loosely-organized or not. It’s an idea. No one can write a check to “antifa”. It’s merely a catch-all term for right-wing convenience.
Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, etc. are actual organizations. People can write checks to those organizations to support them. They are much more than ideas.
The Wikipedia article on antifa is seriously misleading. Wonder who the author(s) of that were/are…
Olivia, your eloquence and bravery never cease to amaze me.
Every day a new punch in the gut is delivered to our freedoms. Freedom of speech is for everyone. I would love if certain individuals who love wearing red hats weren’t allowed to speak. But, when we pick and choose who has the right to have his/her voice heard we endanger everyone’s freedom of speech. Have years of history not taught people anything?
Thank you for your letters Olivia. It has become abundantly clear that it is time to abandon the corporate networks, i.e. the ABC, NBC, .... of this country, and any country, and support independent journalism, detached from the compromised powers of the giant corporations, which clearly have given in to power.
Thank you Olivia for your courage and steadfast dedication to truth and democracy. Yes there is no room for despair, it all about defending your democracy and personal freedoms. Your freedom of speech should never be silenced. Stand tall fight back, Get involved with the independent media, Remember when the right wing cabal is describing the left wing , they are only telling you who they are. Remember when you point your finger at someone three fingers are pointing at you. The courts are doing marvelous work but the justices Trump has been appointing are bad news. Slowly he will erode the courts with the likes of Emil Bove and others. I understand the internal cabinet and department heads are acting like little unruly children Scott Bessent wanting to punch someone in the face. How childish. With Kash Patel , Kristi Noem, and Tulsi Gabbard ruling the roost one should be concerned with off shore terrorism.. .
Thanks, Olivia. Brilliant essay. You rock, sister! Upgrading to paid right now! 💪🏽💙
On behalf of the American and Immigrant people of the United States, we are designating the MAGA Project 2025 DOGE regime, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT & RIGHT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”