Following the Jan. 6 riots on the United States Capitol and the suspension of U.S. President Donald Trump on most major social media platforms, there has been an anticipated spike of outrage on the right over the conspiracy of big tech to silence conservative voices.
Internet outrage does not stop at international borders, Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies MP Bob Zimmer expressed in a published column and Facebook post following the suspension of Trump’s Twitter account. Zimmer remarked: “We must all fight against the left’s ‘cancel culture’ desire to silence voices as opposed to having a constructive discussion.”
I recall conversations four years ago with fellow Canadians following the 2016 primary and general elections in the United States. Disgust and annoyance were primary themes, however a shudder of anticipation always concluded discussions when someone would say: “It will happen here.”
Scrolling through the comments of Zimmer’s Facebook post, it’s reasonable to identify that the success of political polarization in the United States has bookmarked itself into Canadian conservatism. I was quick to note the irony of a conservative, elected member of federal government posting his published complaints of conservative censorship to the world’s largest social media platform, which as of this writing has over 180+ reactions, 100+ comments and 35+ shares.
The language President Trump has been criticized and now banned for are often justified by those citing the protection of free speech under our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. However, they are quick to forget the equal concept of restrictedspeech.
Hate speech, obscenity and defamation are understandable exceptions meant to limit political and social violence such as what instigated attacks on the U.S. Capitol. The ambiguity surrounding the legal and moral responsibilities of social media platforms to enforce these exemptions have thus given rise to a narrative that when enforcements do occur, they are often spun as targeted and politically motivated.
The idea of major social media platforms conducting dedicated censorship and silencing of conservative opinions is a proven myth. Throughout the 2020 U.S. presidential race, conservative voices dominated the online conversation on topics such as Black Lives Matter and voter fraud. Feed algorithms of these platforms are additionally geared to favour common themes and language utilized by conservatives, drawing greater interaction numbers and compounding their virality. Fox News continues to have the largest audience above left-leaning cable news networks, conservative book publications are still included on bestseller lists, and the Twitter naughty list demonstrates an obvious standard constituting user abuse.
The second irony of Zimmer’s post in his quick defense of free speech was his to-date failure to detail his opposition to Bill C-6, which gave approval in principle to outlaw conversion therapy in Canada. Zimmer was one of only seven members to oppose the bill and, despite numerous calls to elaborate on his initial statement, has remained publicly silent since.
Zimmer claimed that the bill was an “encroachment [on] foundational principles” of “free speech, freedom of religion and freedom of association,” despite the justice minister’s rejection of this claim. This very logic in defense of harmful activities that persecute minority groups has also been used in the justifications of colonial violence against Indigenous populations and the enslavement of African Americans. These are lessons in history that we as a species look back on with shame and continue to repent for as manifestations of our ugliest traits.
Self-serving narratives and the avoidance of accountability plague the right far greater than Twitter’s terms and conditions. Fluffy rationale to justify catering to polarized voting issues has earned my coin of the name cotton ball conservatives as an antithesis to liberal snowflakes. Proponents of hatred, intolerance and conspiracy have neither a place on our social feeds or in elected office. All are quick to melt under a drop of scrutiny and accountability.
- Sydney Redpath was raised in Prince George and is a UNBC graduate. She has voted and campaigned for candidates across the political spectrum, including the Conservative Party of Canada. She has also been voluntarily passionate about American politics for the past 10 years.
