Even the bastion of free speech remains hostile to conservative viewpoints. During the recent March for Life in Washington, D.C., a group of young people wearing pro-life shirts and hats was kicked out of the Smithsonian and the National Archives. These are public buildings just feet from the birthplace of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Both the Smithsonian and National Archives have since apologized for the incidents, but the students are suing on First Amendment grounds.
This is just the latest example of the seeming double standard when it comes to free speech for conservatives. Big tech companies have been called out for similar free speech violations, for colluding with big government to censor certain content. Francisco Gonzalez, conservative writer and commentator, says this behavior violates the very point of the First Amendment. "If you see somebody with a pro-life shirt, you have absolutely every right to have a discussion about why you agree or don't agree, but you do not have a right to exclude that person from society," he tells KTRH. "The saddest part of it all is (the left) claims tolerance to justify their intolerance."
Gonzalez argues there are no safe spaces from the First Amendment, which is meant to encourage more speech and debate. "I don't think that any one of us has a right to comfort, and we should be prepared at any given moment to give testimony to why we believe what we believe," he says.
"The bottom line---you have a right to free speech, absolutely," Gonzalez continues. "But we do not have a right to not be challenged. And that is what's important for both sides to understand."