(TheLastPatriotNews,com) – In a new reality that hardly bodes well for the nation’s future, Democrats and especially younger leftists are attaching little value to the freedom of speech enshrined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution while tolerating censorship.
The latest survey on censorship by RealClear Opinion Research (RCOR) found that almost half of all Democrat voters nationwide – or 47% – think that free speech should be legal “only under certain circumstances.”
At the same time, a third of Democrats – or 34% – believe that Americans “have too much freedom,” while exactly three-quarters of the leftists are convinced that the government should be responsible for censoring “hateful” posts on social media platforms.
A RealClearPolitics tweet describes the survey’s findings regarding free speech and censorship attitudes as “stunning numbers among Democrats.”
The news outlet stresses that only 31% of Democratic Party voters agreed strongly with the statement, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
While the poll found high overall support for freedom of speech in principle, it also discovered “deeply divergent perspectives” characterized as “partisan differences.”
“Overall, 9 in 10 voters in the U.S. think First Amendment protections for freedom of speech is a good thing, while only 9% think it is a bad thing,” noted pollster Spencer Kimball, who led the poll.
“But there is bad news, too… Democrats grant significantly more deference to government than do Republicans when it comes to regulating free speech,” the RCP report observes.
It points out that younger generations are more likely to consent to limited freedom of speech since “Millennials and Gen-Z have come of age in a digital age environment” with reduced privacy expectations.
“Those under 30 are most open to censorship by the government,” Kimball pointed out.
He said 42% of Americans under 30 thought it was “more important” for the government to protect national security than the right to free speech. In the “65 and above” age group, that number stood at 26%.
“Republicans are not the authoritarian party. That distinction belongs to the Democrats,” RCP comments.
It notes that 74% of GOP voters and 61% of independents are convinced that free speech should be legal “under any circumstances.” For Democrats, the number is 53%, with 47% open to some form of censorship.
The Real Clear Opinion Research poll surveyed 1,120 American voters.
