Parler’s fight is every American’s fight

OPINION:

Parler, the social media alternative to anti-conservative, anti-President Donald Trump, anti-Christian speech police at Twitter, has responded to Amazon Web Services’ yank of hosting privileges with a lawsuit.

And in its lawsuit, Parler is alleging that Amazon elites “repeatedly asked whether the president had joined or would join Parler now that he was blocked by Twitter and Facebook,” as Breitbart reported.

Isn’t that interesting.

That would mean the social media censors took a particular dislike to Trump to the point of going after those who might be his friends or allies. Or business partners. Or those who would grant him the ability to have a voice.

It’s a chilling and complete clamp-down of Trump’s constitutionally backed, God-given rights to freely speak and express himself.

Just because it’s a private company doing the chilling and complete clamp-down doesn’t make it any less egregious or un-American. These tech giants have successfully walked both sides of the aisle for too long, selling themselves publicly as a free and open platform for all to use — while secretly shutting down all those viewpoints that run counter to select, strict, restrictive leftist messaging.

Everybody knows this.

It’s one of modern day’s greatest open secrets: Tech giants and social media CEOs are blatantly biased against Trump, against conservatives, against Trump supporters and supporters of conservative causes.

But going after competitors who build an alternative to the tech giants’ stifling platforms is a new level of un-Americanism.

Parler accuses that Amazon was “motivated by political animus” against Trump. Amazon in response said its “decision to suspend Parler is about nothing more than Parler’s demonstrated unwillingness and inability to remove from the servers of AWS content that threatens the public safety.”

This argument, oft-repeated by Big Tech in various forms — that social media giants only serve to protect the citizens from harm, blah, blah, yada, yada — has become so ridiculously outed as inconsistent that it’s not worth categorizing all the inconsistencies. Once again, everybody knows that argument is bull. Booting Trump for inciting violence while allowing other violent entities, both foreign and domestic, ongoing access to social media is sheer selective and biased targeting.

Everybody knows this.

But the outcome of Parler’s court case is hugely important to all of America.

If Amazon is allowed to boot a private company for the so-called crime of maybe or maybe not allowing a controversial government official a voice — think what will happen to the voices of millions upon millions of American citizens whose voices aren’t in direct line with those of the Big Tech leftists.

Think what will happen to the companies run by individuals whose voices and viewpoints aren’t in direct line with those of the Big Tech leftists.

It’ll be widespread crackdowns on free speech and free expression — turning to shutdowns of businesses and clampdowns on business owners’ abilities to make money.

Socialism at the hands of the free market. Communism at the hands of corporate elitists.

It won’t be America any longer.

Parler’s fight is every American’s fight. It’s crucial Parler wins.

• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “Socialists Don’t Sleep: Christians Must Rise Or America Will Fall,” is available by clicking HERE.