** Press statement and Media Availability **

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 14, 2020

American Constitutional Rights Union condemns censorship and warns it is the first step in the march of totalitarianism

Naples, FL—American Constitutional Rights Union and American Constitutional Rights Union Action Fund unequivocally condemn any and all actions by government officials, the private sector, and government officials in collusion with the private sector, to limit, suppress or censor free speech of any American citizen or organization.

“Freedom of speech is the very underpinning of our founding,” states ACRU founding board member Attorney General Edwin Meese III.

“Patriots like Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin and the authors of the Federalist Papers risked their lives and livelihoods to ensure that all Americans, in perpetuity, were able to engage in the free exchange of ideas. Power hungry elected officials and ideologically driven private companies have no right to trample on this freedom.”

“When government colludes with the private sector to block speech, that action is unconstitutional,” notes ACRU President Lori Roman.

“The idea—even presented by some misguided conservatives—that the First Amendment only applies to government’s abridgement of speech is a specious argument on two fronts.

“ACRU has catalogued a number of social media posts from liberal politicians either calling for private companies to block public expression of speech or applauding them when they do. Complicit companies are merely the means by which government blocks free speech.

“In addition, what about the spirit and intent of the free speech provisions of the First Amendment? An American company is comprised of American board members, executives and staff. It is unconscionable and disgraceful that a group of individuals in control of any American company whether in social media, banking or retail commerce would immorally use their corporate power to unilaterally destroy the free speech of other Americans.”

“Our organization is funded through philanthropy and we accept neither corporate nor trade association funding—including any donations from “Big Tech.” This makes ACRU fully uncompromised in this debate, and we call upon other liberty-preserving organizations and individuals to join us in fighting unconstitutional and shameless censorship while we still can.”

Roman concluded, “if this onslaught of oppressive and tyrannical actions against American citizens goes unchecked, liberals and conservatives alike will discover how dim our shining city on the hill will become when the marketplace of ideas shutters its doors forever. Censorship is always the first step toward totalitarianism.”

American Constitutional Rights Union, a non-partisan, non-profit public policy organization dedicated to defending the constitutional rights of all Americans.