Politicians in Washington seem to be developing a thin skin. What used to be considered — and respected, if not protected — as free speech has become grounds for censure. And the tit-for-tat happening in Congress threatens to turn up the political thermostat when our nation desperately needs a cooldown.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) narrowly avoided becoming the latest member of Congress to be censured last week after four Republicans crossed the aisle and joined Democrats to block a procedural motion. In the past 40 years, six members have been censured by the House. Four of those representatives received the public punishment for speech offenses, all occurring within the last four years.

I don't agree with Omar's reprehensible comments about the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. Nor, I believe, do voters. But I defend her right to make them. The power structure in D.C. has a way of marginalizing Omar for her remarks and the voters in her district can certainly remove her from office.

Free speech is a cornerstone of American democracy. The open debate of ideas — however unpopular — is so central to independent governance that our Founders enshrined it in the First Amendment of the Constitution.

As the late Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. famously wrote in his "Great Dissent": "If there is any principle of the Constitution that more imperatively calls for attachment than any other, it is the principle of free thought — not free thought for those who agree with us, but freedom for the thought that we hate."

"Animal Farm" author George Orwell put it well: "If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."

Instead, leaders in Washington seem intent on snuffing out voices they don't want to hear. And, perplexingly, it's some Republicans — the party that has long championed free speech (does anyone remember the pushback to former President Joe Biden's efforts to police social media or discredit conservative news outlets?) — who are now leading this cancel culture.

Attorney General Pam Bondi recently suggested the Justice Department would "go after" individuals who engage in "hate speech" — a comment that sparked immediate blowback from conservatives. Even President Donald Trump promised to "find each and every one of those" whose "rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing."

Certainly, the left has historically used inflammatory language of its own, which has contributed to the downward spiral of civil dialogue in our country. When Democrats label the president a "dictator" and a "tyrant" and call on Americans to "put Trump in a bullseye," how can they be surprised when conservatives rally to the president's side?

But silencing speech is no answer, regardless of how distasteful it may be. In the marketplace of ideas, thoughts and speech should be allowed to compete, and, presumably, Americans will be well enough informed to raise what's right and true to the top. This competition comes with inherent risk — words have power — but the free exchange of ideas should outweigh the cost. That was a principle that Mr. Kirk espoused better than anyone.

It might be politically expedient for lawmakers to simply turn off those they disagree with. But such actions only lend themselves to more retaliation — what's to stop Democrats from censuring Republicans the next time they have control of Congress? — and squelch debate of ideas, which is what good policy is built on.

Joe Rogan, a libertarian who has the courage to speak truth over party-line dogma, said it well when talking about Jimmy Kimmel getting pulled off the air for making comments many Americans, myself included, found inaccurate and troubling.

"I definitely don't think the government should be involved, ever, in dictating what a comedian can or cannot say in a monologue," he cautioned. "You are crazy for supporting this because this will be used on you."

Without question, ordinary Americans want to see civility restored to our government and political systems. We won't get there by canceling those we disagree with. It will take free and open debate, an ear to understand rather than to be heard, personal responsibility and an ounce of the Golden Rule — to treat others as we would hope to be treated. I know this idea of free speech works. Go ahead and censure me if I'm wrong.

Ken Buck served in the United States House of Representatives from 2015-2024 representing Colorado's 4th congressional district. He now serves as a Fellow with the Independent Center. To find out more about Ken Buck and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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