Yes, I have been censored on Facebook and Twitter. I consider it an honor. Just as I considered it an honor when I was placed on the first ‘No-Fly’ list. I even had my friends throw a party in my honor and present me with a medal to celebrate my ‘No-Fly’ distinguished award.
Therefore I enter this discussion of how I, an honest reputable prominent, successful
American can be censored by two billion-dollar corporations in the 21st Century.
The whole debate on the mechanisms necessary to enforce the 1st Amendment to the Constitution and eliminate political censorship on public media seems to be based on a lack of understanding of the history of commerce.
The basic law that is being violated is the law of public accommodation, a law that is more than 2,300 years old. The law was created by the Roman legislature two centuries before the CE common era to deal with the problem of ferries across rivers in Roman territory. Ferry boat operators seem to have been applying their own discretion to what people and goods they would transport across rivers. This stifled trade and created rewards and punishments that were entirely arbitrary, in the hands of a vital service.
The Roman public accommodations law required ferry boat operators to carry everyone who wished to travel.
Now that law is obvious and our generation seems able to ignore an obvious reality.
I hear statements like ‘these are private companies.’ What is the relevance of that? None.
Even private membership clubs such as the San Francisco Olympic Club, which was men only, before the 1970s was forced to open for lunch to women because business lunches were an important part of conducting business in San Francisco. That obvious and decent legal ruling applied to all lunch clubs with 200 or more members.
Yes, that puts me in agreement with the U.S. Supreme Court in the Jack Phillips (definitely no relation) case, whose bakery wouldn’t sell a cake for a gay wedding. He is open for business; he can always su bcontract baking a specific cake to another baker.
In order to settle the big tech censorship issue Congress can insert the words ‘political opinions’ into Title II of the Civil Rights Act.
42 U.S.C. §2000a (a)All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination on the ground of race, color, religion, political opinions or national origin.
If there is any question that a public media site open to the public is covered by the law here is the paragraph that makes that issue clear:
42 U.S.C. § 2000a(c) For purposes of this section, "commerce" means travel, trade, traffic, commerce, transportation, or communication…
That settles the issue. Get two words inserted into existing law. Get a court order against these behemoth buffoons.