Our first freedom is freedom of speech

Comedy is supposed to bring us together by showing us there's nobody completely above mockery. But even this most basic of First Amendment expressions is under attack by the progressive leftwing ideology.

Covering for Glenn on his radio show this morning, Buck Sexton talked about how left-leaning comedians seem to be let off the hook of political correctness while their conservative counterparts are forced to apologize for being "offensive."

To demonstrate the extent our PC culture has gone, Buck pointed out some have deemed tribute videos of the late actor, Robin Williams, offensive.

Perhaps one of the best examples of this is after the very tragic and untimely death of Robin Williams, as they created some tribute videos of his comedy, people realized that even but a few years ago, maybe a decade or so ago, there were things that Robin Williams would say, and there were voices he would do. And there were jokes he made. Ooh. That's kind of racist. Oh, I don't know if we can show that on TV.

He continued.

"What is happening to us? How can we allow this to be?" Buck asked. "We're supposed to be the beacon of freedom to the entire world, and our first freedom is of speech, of thought, of ideas. And yet, we're giving that away without too much of a fight."

Listen to the segment or read the transcript below.

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.

BUCK: There are some who will get away with more minor violations of the code of PC, of political correctness. There are some who have to have a temporary, little minor moment of apology and they can just skate on by. Because if you're on the left -- if you're a leftist in good standing, you get a little more leeway on this.

Tina Fey, who is a talented comedy writer. I actually enjoyed 30 Rock very much, and I think Jack Donaghy is one of the great TV characters of all time. But Tina Fey has also written a show. She was the head writer at SNL for a while, for those of you who are not familiar with her work. She's the creator of a show called Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. And on TheBlaze.com, we have this story now, where she's just saying she doesn't really care that there's some sort of -- there's some outrage that people have over her -- over her show. She's not going to apologize.

Now, what's interesting here as a member in good standing with the left, she'll be okay. She can do this. Right? But it's instructive, I think, nonetheless to show that even somebody like her, who has been burnishing -- remember, this is the woman who made a mockery of Sarah Palin -- perhaps her most famous stint on SNL. You could say, well, they make fun of everybody. But it felt -- there was a particular sting, I think, in the Palin jokes. And she's somebody who also created this show.

And in this show, there's a white actress who as part of the story line comes from a Native American family. It's obviously supposed to be farcical. It's really sort of surrealist. It's not in any way a commentary on Native Americans and everything else. And people, of course, because of the culture we live in now begin to freak out about it. They demand apologies. And they just want everybody to walk around constantly in fear of saying the wrong thing. Because there's power in that. For people -- and, of course, this is the mind-set of the modern leftist, is that they want to be able to tell you what to do all the time in every facet of your life. I think this is one of the main characteristics or one of the main distinguishing factors between left and right in this country.

The right wants some rules, but other than that, go for it. The left wants everything to be dictated. Notice the usage of that term. It should remind you of something else.

They have a sense that is dictatorial. Comedy is supposed to be a chance to be brave, to afflict the powerful, to actually bring us all together by showing us that there's nobody that is above mockery. Whether it's our political leaders or religious leaders or anybody, closely held beliefs, all of it should be subject to some degree of humor, right? There's some humor that's in bad taste. There's some humor that's not nice or fair. But you should be able to take a joke about basically anything. And this is one of the casualties of the culture in which we now live. That you can't even make a show that's just trying to entertain and be funny without everyone coming out and saying, "Oh, how could you? It's so racist."

Perhaps one of the best examples of this is after the very tragic and untimely death of Robin Williams, as they created some tribute videos of his comedy, people realized that even but a few years ago, maybe a decade or so ago, there were things that Robin Williams would say, and there were voices he would do. And there were jokes he made. Ooh. That's kind of racist. Oh, I don't know if we can show that on TV.

What is happening to us? How can we allow this to be? We're supposed to be the beacon of freedom to the entire world. And our first freedom is of speech, of thought, of ideas. And yet, we're giving that away without too much of a fight. I say we change that.

Featured Image: A protestor shouts through a rolled up poster outside of the Wisconsin assembly chamber at the Wisconsin State Capitol on March 10, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin. Thousands of demonstrators continue to protest at the Wisconsin State Capitol as the Wisconsin House voted to pass the state's controversial budget bill one day after Wisconsin Republican Senators voted to curb collective bargaining rights for public union workers in a surprise vote with no Democrats present. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Biden admin has let in MORE illegal aliens than the populations of THESE 15 states

GUILLERMO ARIAS / Contributor | Getty Images

There are currently an estimated 16.8 MILLION illegal aliens residing in the United States as of June 2023, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). This number is already 1.3 million higher than FAIR's January 2022 estimate of 15.5 million and a 2.3 million increase from its end-of-2020 estimate. Even Democrats like New York City's Mayor Adams Mayor Adams are waking up to what Conservatives have been warning for years: we are in a border CRISIS.

However, this isn't the same border crisis that Republicans were warning about back in 2010. In the first two years of the Biden administration alone, the illegal alien population increased by 16 PERCENT nationwide, imposing a whopping net cost of $150.6 BILLION PER YEAR on American taxpayers. That is nearly DOUBLE the total amount that the Biden administration has sent to Ukraine.

This isn't the same border crisis that Republicans were warning about back in 2010.

These large numbers often make it difficult to conceptualize the sheer impact of illegal immigration on the United States. To put it in perspective, we have listed ALL 15 states and the District of Colombia that have smaller populations than the 2.3 MILLION illegal immigrants, who have entered the U.S. under the Biden administration. That is more than the entire populations of Wyoming, Vermont, and South Dakota COMBINED—and the American taxpayers have to pay the price.

Here are all 16 states/districts that have FEWER people than the illegal immigrants who have entered the U.S. under the Biden administration.

1. New Mexico

Population: 2,110,011

2. Idaho

Population: 1,973,752

3. Nebraska

Population: 1,972,292

4. West Virginia

Population: 1,764,786

5. Hawaii

Population: 1,433,238

6. New Hampshire

Population: 1,402,957

7. Maine

Population: 1,393,442

8. Montana

Population: 1,139,507

9. Rhode Island

Population: 1,090,483

10. Delaware

Population: 1,031,985

11. South Dakota

Population: 923,484

12. North Dakota

Population: 780,588

13. Alaska

Population: 732,984

14. Washington DC

Population: 674,815

15. Vermont

Population: 647,156

16. Wyoming

Population: 583,279

POLL: Should the Government control the future of AI?

The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

Earlier this week, tech titans, lawmakers, and union leaders met on Capitol Hill to discuss the future of AI regulation. The three-hour meeting boasted an impressive roster of tech leaders including, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and others, along with more than 60 US Senators.

Tech Titans and Senators gathered in the Kennedy Caucus Room.The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

The meeting was closed to the public, so what was exactly discussed is unknown. However, what we do know is that a majority of the CEOs support AI regulation, the most vocal of which is Elon Musk. During the meeting, Musk called AI "a double-edged sword" and strongly pushed for regulation in the interest of public safety.

A majority of the CEOs support AI regulation.

Many other related issues were discussed, including the disruption AI has caused to the job market. As Glenn has discussed on his program, the potential for AI to alter or destroy jobs is very real, and many have already felt the effects. From taxi drivers to Hollywood actors and writers, AI's presence can be felt everywhere and lawmakers are unsure how to respond.

The potential for AI to alter or destroy jobs is very real.

Ultimately, the meeting's conclusion was less than decisive, with several Senators making comments to the tune of "we need more time before we act." The White House is expected to release an executive order regarding AI regulation by the end of the year. But now it's YOUR turn to tell us what YOU think needs to be done!

Should A.I. be regulated?

Can the government be trusted with the power to regulate A.I.? 

Can Silicon Valley be trusted to regulate AI? 

Should AI development be slowed for safety, despite its potential advantages?

If a job can be done cheaper and better by AI, should it be taken away from a human?

Do you feel that your job is threatened by AI?

Haven't grabbed your copy of Dark Future yet? Glenn is giving you EXCLUSIVE access to the first chapter of his New York Times bestselling book detailing all of his predictions about how modern technology and political systems will be used to make "The Great Reset" a reality.

Enter your email below to have chapter 1 of Dark Future sent straight to your inbox.

If you want a hard copy of Dark Future, click HERE. If you want an audiobook version, click HERE.

Glenn wrote this essay on September 12, 2001. Are we the same people now?

ED JONES / Contributor | Getty Images

Twenty two years ago today on September 12th, 2001, Glenn wrote an essay called "The Greatest American Generation." These were his visceral thoughts immediately following the 9/11 attacks. This beautiful essay calls upon the American spirit to rise to the occasion to pull us through what was one of the darkest days in our nation's history. He called us to unite around the common vision that unites us as Americans.

Yesterday, Glenn revisited this essay, wondering if we are the same people who could have pulled through that dark hour. Do you still believe the things that he wrote in this essay? Or have we become a people too divided to overcome a tragedy of the magnitude of 9/11? Consider these questions as you read Glenn's essay below, "The Greatest American Generation," published on September 12, 2001.

I've always believed that the greatest American generation is the one that's living, in the here and the now. The question is not if this is the greatest American generation. The question was when were we going to wake up? I remember staying at my grandparents' house in the summer when I was small. Every morning my grandmother would open the attic door and call up, "Kids, time to wake up." For me she'd have to do this a couple of times before I'd lumber out of bed and cross the cold, squeaky wooden floor. But finally, I would. And she'd be there in the kitchen ready with breakfast. My grandfather was already outside in the henhouse because there was work to do. They were hardworking, good and decent people. Seemed to me that they were from not only a different time but a different place. They weren't.

The spirit of our parents and our grandparents isn't from some foreign place. It hasn't died out. It's a flame that flickers in all Americans. It's there and it's ready to blaze to life when we're ready to face the challenges that now lie at our feet. It's what sets us apart. It's what built this country. It's why our borders still teem with the poor and the tired and those yearning to be free, burned with zeal in the hearts of millions of immigrants from every corner of the Earth who came here in search of a better way of life. The flame that Lady Liberty holds is the American spirit which burns deep within all of us, no matter what our race, gender, our religious background. And today the world is watching us. It's really nothing new. It always has.

Since the dawn of man people dreamt of a better life, dreamt of a better way, of freedom. But it was Americans that finally found a way to build it. And out of all that we've built, the powerful machines, the computers, the weapons of mass destruction, hardware and software that we spent millions on every year to protect and keep the plan secret, our biggest seeming secret, the one the world wants most of all, isn't a secret at all. It's something we freely give to the rest of the world. And while it seems self‑evident to us, for some reason it can't be duplicated. Yet it can be passed on from person to person, torch to torch. It's the American spirit.

If you weren't trapped in one of those towers or on a plane or in the Pentagon, then you have great reason to humbly give thanks today, not for our lives but because we're the lucky ones. God hasn't forsaken us. He's awakened us. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, he's gently called out, "Kids, it's time to wake up! We've been given another chance."

Thousands of years ago in Babel, the great civilization in their arrogance built a tower that reached the sky. It crumbled and they were scattered. Our heart and steely symbols of power and wealth may have crumbled, but we have not been scattered. Americans aren't ever going to scatter. Let the world recognize through our actions today that those firefighters in New York are not the exception. They are the rule. Americans don't run from burning buildings. We run into them. It was a beautiful fall morning on the edge of the land created through divine providence. Coffee shops were open. Children were on their buses and people easing into another typical workday when America's greatest generation heard the voice: "Kids, it's time to wake up."

Several times we've ignored the voice. We've drifted back into twilight sleep muttering, "I know, I know, in a minute." But finally we are awake and out of bed, for there is much work to do. The task before us is much more daunting than what our grandparents and parents faced, but we are stronger, a more prepared nation. The torch has been passed. We are the greatest American generation. The American spirit is alive and well. Our flame has not burned out. It had just been dimmed while we were asleep."