Greater than 400 actors, musicians, and different creatives have signed an open letter organized by the American Civil Liberties Union condemning Donald Trump’s crackdown on free speech, together with the FCC’s current stress marketing campaign that compelled ABC to take Jimmy Kimmel Dwell! off the air.
“We the folks mustn’t ever settle for authorities threats to our freedom of speech. Efforts by leaders to stress artists, journalists, and corporations with retaliation for his or her speech strike on the coronary heart of what it means to reside in a free nation,” the letter reads.
“Final week, Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air after the federal government threatened a personal firm with retaliation, marking a darkish second for freedom of speech in our nation. In an try to silence its critics, our authorities has resorted to threatening the livelihoods of journalists, speak present hosts, artists, creatives, and entertainers throughout the board. This runs counter to the values our nation was constructed upon, and our Structure ensures.”
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Among the many signatories are actors Tom Hanks, Ben Stiller, Billy Crystal, Robert De Niro, Florence Pugh, Pedro Pascal, Jennifer Aniston, Michael Keaton, Judd Apatow, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Regina King, Kirsten Dunst, Noah Wyle, Joaquin Phoenix, Diego Luna, Martin Quick, Alison Brie, Timothy Olyphant, Joe Keery, and Jim Parsons; and musicians Olivia Rodrigo, “Bizarre” Al Yankovic, Beastie Boys’ Adam Horovitz, Cyndi Lauper, and Sheryl Crow.
Right here is the complete letter:
“We the folks mustn’t ever settle for authorities threats to our freedom of speech. Efforts by leaders to stress artists, journalists, and corporations with retaliation for his or her speech strike on the coronary heart of what it means to reside in a free nation.
Final week, Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air after the federal government threatened a personal firm with retaliation, marking a darkish second for freedom of speech in our nation. In an try to silence its critics, our authorities has resorted to threatening the livelihoods of journalists, speak present hosts, artists, creatives, and entertainers throughout the board. This runs counter to the values our nation was constructed upon, and our Structure ensures.
We all know this second is larger than us and our trade. Lecturers, authorities staff, regulation companies, researchers, universities, college students and so many extra are additionally dealing with direct assaults on their freedom of expression.
No matter our political affiliation, or whether or not we interact in politics or not, all of us love our nation. We additionally share the assumption that our voices ought to by no means be silenced by these in energy – as a result of if it occurs to one in all us, it occurs to all of us.
That is the second to defend free speech throughout our nation. We encourage all Individuals to affix us, together with the ACLU, within the battle to defend and protect our constitutionally protected rights.”