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Kicked Off The Front Porch

Guy Page

Neighborhood ‘Forum’ bans “Liberty and Justice for All” letter

by Guy Page

On December 3, Molly Jesse of Essex Junction submitted the post below to Front Porch Forum, a neighborhood online news, advertising and commentary service. Controversy and public discussion had been swirling for months on FPF over the high school’s decision to raise the Black Lives Matter flag.

Molly Jesse, Essex Junction

On December 4, Ms. Jesse’s FPF account was deactivated without notice or explanation. Seeking both, she sent an email to FPF. This was their reply: “Your account was deactivated due to multiple violations of FPF’s Terms of Use, racial justice mission, and Coronavirus Policy.”

Essex Republican Chair Ron Lawrence protested the decision and tried to repost Ms. Jesse’s post. His account, too, was deactivated.

Is FPF playing the politics of cancel culture? Let the reader be the judge. As noted in another story in today’s Vermont Daily, I think thin-skinned Front Porch Forum judged them not by the colorfulness of their remarks, but by the character of their content.

At least one observer noted in email exchanges about the FPF action, “I do think FPF has gone overboard in controlling posts—at least our local monitors. Any attempt to have a reasonable discussion on BLM for example, set them off immediately—even when I presented them with pretty outrageous posts in favor of BLM. I think it’s time to move to other social media where free speech is actually encouraged.” Below is the post submitted by Molly Jesse, and reposted by Ron Lawrence:

Liberty and Justice for All

Liberty and Justice for All is an Open Letter that begins as follows: 

“We stand at the crossroads. Over the next several years, the noble sentiments and ideas that gave birth to the United States will either be repudiated or reaffirmed. The fateful choice before us will result either in the death of a grand hope or a recommitment to an extraordinary political experiment whose full flowering we have yet to realize.

The choice will involve either contempt and despair or gratitude and the self-respect worthy of a free people who know long labors lie before them and who proceed with hope toward a dignified future.” 

The Open Letter ends with: “Like our forebears, we aim both to conserve and reform our institutions in light of enduring principles of justice. That is the task of self-governing people who know they live in an imperfect world and yet are not deterred by its challenges. We invite all citizens of good will to join us so that together we can strive for liberty and justice for all.” 

Go to https://www.realclearfoundation.org/liberty-and-justice-for-all/ to read the Open Letter in full. 

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