Kimmel removal sparks controversy

On Wednesday, Sep 17, ABC pulled commentator Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, off air after comments Kimmel made regarding the death of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk. The move sparked outrage across the nation, with people from all political affiliations advocating for Kimmel, asking the same question: Why is Kimmel being punished for exercising his right of free speech?

For decades, Kimmel has been not just a late-night host, but a voice for American citizens and a cultural commentator who uses comedy to touch on controversial topics. Whether you agree with his views or not, anyone can see that he has used his First Amendment rights in the spirit of what the amendment protects: freedom of speech, and the right to express opinions.

In a country that so proudly proclaims the First Amendment as a cornerstone of our democracy, pulling Kimmel off air sends a shocking message to anyone who dares to voice their thoughts on controversial topics. American citizens should be able to express their opinions without the fear of removal from a job, political violence, or any other harmful repercussions.

Comedy is meant to be provocative, turn heads, and make some listeners occasionally uncomfortable. And many in favor of Kimmel’s forced exit have never hesitated to take their “comedic” jokes to a much harsher level thank Kimmel ever did.

For example, on Oct 28, 2022, David DePape broke into the home of former Speaker of the House and current Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, attacking her husband Paul Pelosi with a hammer, leaving him in the hospital for six days with a fractured skull and other injuries. Conservatives and Donald Trump himself took to Twitter just a few

hours after the news, posting memes of a pair of underwear and a hammer next to the caption: “Got my Paul Pelosi Halloween costume ready.”

This double standard was highlighted in June , when Melissa Hortman, the 61st Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband, Mark Hortman, were shot and killed in their own home.

Although Hortman was an elected official, and died in a similar way to Charlie Kirk, there was no outrage or public mourning about her death. When Hortman was murdered, Trump did not order the American flags at the White House to fly at half-mast as he did when Kirk died, stating he was “not familiar" with what happened when asked by a reporter.

Interesting.

I’m a 16 year old girl and I knew about this as soon as it was on social media.

Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee had two very different reactions to the shootings of Hortman and Kirk. When Kirk was shot, Lee wrote on social media platform X that he was an “inspiration to countless young people”, and at a gathering at Utah Valley University, he said “the terrorists won't win, Charlie will.”

When the Hortmans were shot just three months prior, Lee wrote on X that “this is what happens when the Marxists don’t get their way” and referenced the incident as the “Nightmare on Walz Street,” trying to link the murder of the Hortmans to the 41st Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, as well as Democrats, calling them “Marxists.”

Obviously, Kimmel’s comments were made in far better taste than these conservative’s ones.

Kimmel never even called out Kirk directly. His words denounced Trump supporters as a whole, stating they “tried to characterize the alleged shooter as anything other than one of them.”

This refers to how some conservatives tried to distance themselves from gun violence and the shooter in the aftermath of Kirk’s murder. Kimmel’s comment tend to jump to conclusions and categorize criminals as primarily people of color or LGBTQ+ individuals. Kimmel’s comment was a critique on conservatives

Jimmy Kimmel being censored for comments so similar, if not less disrespectful, to those who condone his removal is a blatant example of the inconsistency of the Trump Administration.

When freedom of speech is curtailed based on political convenience or personal offense, it weakens the very democratic principles our nation stands upon.

Kimmel’s removal, while temporary, sets a precedent going forward about who is allowed to say what in public, as a period of restriction and repression seems to have begun.

Photo courtesy of @jimmykimmel on Instagram