THIS MAY BE THE LAST ARTICLE I WRITE

DATELINE RICHMOND, INDIANA USA

So the answer to the question, "Do you have a right not to be kicked off a social media platform?" is no! You have no such right. Many people are shocked to learn that the First Amendment free speech guarantee, along with all constitutional rights, only protects us against the government. So, if the government interferes with your freedom of speech, you can bring a First Amendment lawsuit to challenge. This is true whether we're talking about a federal government official, a state nor a local government official. But guess what? LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or the other social media platforms are not the government, they are for profit companies. They are private sector entities, and therefore, they have no First Amendment obligation to protect your freedom of speech. They can choose to say anything they or friends say about you but when the other ox is being gored...wala, they can cut you off at the knees or further south! They own a special brand of their own First Amendment rights— it’s called by virtue of a Supreme Court ruling..."media right". Ever hear the old quote, "Never get into a fight with the media because they never run out of ink!" So, just as the New York Times or CNN, or any other traditional media platform has no obligation to host your particular message, the same is true for social media. And this is of great concern because as a practical matter, social media have become the dominant platform for the exchange of information and ideas. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized in a unanimous opinion in 2017 that social media platforms are the most important platforms for the exchange of information and ideas and communication, not only among all of us as individuals with our friends and family members but also between us and government officials and politicians. So, it's really important not only for our individual freedom of speech to be meaningful but also for our rights as citizens in participatory democracy to have equal access to social media platforms. That is why so many people, so many government officials, so many human rights agencies and activists are thinking very hard and working to implement other ways to protect equal and fair access to social media platforms for all of us, even if our ideas are unpopular or controversial. So, in a nutshell, do you have any constitutional First Amendment free speech right to air your views on any social media platforms? The answer is no.

But the question of media bias, of slanted news...or even fake news is still to be accounted for. Does social media accept articles on behalf of one viewpoint which denigrates another point of view and upon rebuttal, social media rejects publication, perhaps because the staff member is a card carrying lesbian and has a decided interest in that point of view and the article she rejects is a negative view on lesbians. I am certain this query will be addressed in the future.

The other issue for which I have tried to gain traction in every administration since Bill Clinton is to have the government, acting through the powers of the FCC aggressively address the question of taxing air rights as a means of haltering social media's "carte' blanche' use of these rights to make a fortune for stockholders at the expense of the American taxpayer. Clearly in response to the stimulus drain on the wealth of the country there is a need to find legitimate sources of income.

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