Kirk was a free speech absolutist. Stop silencing dissent after his death | Opinion

Government censorship

The real tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s assassination is the perversion and corruption of his essential message by a president and administration intent on silencing dissent and controlling the media. Kirk was a free speech absolutist. In a social media post in 2024, he wrote: “Hate speech does not exist legally in America. There’s ugly speech. There’s gross speech. There’s evil speech. And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment. Keep America free.”

Kirk practiced what he preached by engaging in direct debate with critics. Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, Brendan Carr, et al, react to criticism with intimidation, lies and threats.

Silencing free speech is the mark of a tyrant and in violation of the U.S. Constitution and our founding principles. Kirk will be spinning in his grave.

Maxine Long,

Coral Gables

Venezuelan cartel

Kudos for Miami Herald journalist Antonio Maria Delgado’s Sept. 19 coverage of the criminal organization disguised as a nation, Venezuela. Having stolen the election for president, chief drug trafficker Nicolás Maduro has been roundly condemned by his neighbors, as Delgado cleverly listed them. Of course, he also might have listed Maduro and company’s only neighboring ally really calling the shots: Cuba.

Maybe they’ll go down together.

Allen Smith,

Palmetto Bay

Inflammatory talk

I’m old enough to remember decades in which neither the extreme right nor extreme left ran the country. The Birch Society, Tea Party and Moral Majority made their voices known, as did progressives, Ralph Nader followers, Social Democrats and the like. The governance, however, was a compromise, a give and take from each side. That’s how things got done and how the country kept its cool.

Not any more. With the president himself fomenting discord, peace among the citizenry is going to be difficult. There’s blame, for sure. And pointed examples are on both sides; to deny that is to deliberately attempt to disenfranchise half the country.

What is meant by “left” is actually anyone who didn’t vote for Donald Trump, not an extreme political viewpoint. Trump is only serving his voters. Proof is everywhere in everything. Non-supporters not only don’t get the time of day, they get fired, harassed, threatened, maligned and scape-goated.

No reasonable person would not support Trump in actions that benefited the country. That is our history from administration to administration. However, he is so combative and mean-spirited all the time, it is difficult to have a positive attitude toward him. Now, with the horrific tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s killing, Trump is fanning the flames of discord.

Most in this country know Trump lies and exaggerates at every opportunity. Still, his words empower hate “the likes of which we’ve never seen before.”

Natalie Altman,

Hollywood

Protecting expression

Re: the Sept. 12 Miami Herald story, “Jewish Voice for Peace sues Miami Beach, claiming free speech violations.” Miami Beach’s new ordinance to regulate public demonstrations isn’t about silencing dissent. It’s about protecting the boundary between protest and disruption.

We’re in a moment when demonstrations too often escalate into intimidation. Sidewalks are blocked and slogans like “Resistance by all means necessary” are shouted less as political speech than as threats.

Cities are right to draw clear lines. Reasonable limits on time, place and manner are not only constitutional, they are necessary. Since Oct. 7, 2023, I’ve traveled across the country, meeting Jewish students, parents and educators who no longer feel safe in public spaces. What begins as protest frequently morphs into harassment.

Upholding democratic values means defending expression and safety. Miami Beach is doing what responsible governments must: protecting the right to protest without surrendering public order.

Aviva Klompas,

co-founder, Boundless Israel,

host, Boundless Insights podcast,

Waltham, MA

Silenced nation?

If the likes of Jimmy Kimmel and soon Stephen Colbert can be silenced, what of ordinary people like us, who have no reach, no resources?

Sonja I. Pantry,

Miramar

Drug boats

What did the murders of occupants of two Venezuelan boats cost the U.S. government and its taxpayers? Millions of dollars, for sure.

Was there a cost to our nation’s reputation, as one that honors and respects law and order? Definitely!

The killings were authorized directly by President Donald Trump. They occurred in international waters. The victims were defenseless. They were foreign nationals. They were not part of the military of a foreign government. There has been no proof that they were not within reach of the U.S. Coast Guard. The killings were clearly illegal and a crime.

Trump will suffer no consequences for this, but he should.

David Kahn,

Boca Raton

Stop the violence

Re: the Sept. 12 Herald online story, “Is Charlie Kirk’s death part of a bigger problem in US society? What a poll shows.” Most Americans see the recent increase in violence against political figures as symptomatic of a problem we must all address. There have always been contending views in this country, but the stark divisions and acrimony between people have reached insane levels. This has led to many unfounded accusations that only fan the flames of unreasoned anger and hatred between our citizens.

There is still room in this country for compassion. We mourn those we have lost and feel for the families and friends they leave behind. We must take the next step of condemning any political violence.

It was wrong to kill Charlie Kirk. It was wrong to kill legislators in Minnesota. It was wrong to attempt to assassinate the president. It was wrong to kill a law enforcement officer defending the CDC in 2025 and the officers defending the U.S. Capitol in 2021.

We are a great country with a proud history of democracy and an ability to work together, even in the face of differences. Voices from the left, right and center of American politics must take a strong stance condemning political violence.

Richard Leman,

Honokaa, HI

Show true colors

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) stole the iconic rainbow crosswalks at Duval and Petronia Streets in Key West in the middle of the night and under the guise of public safety. The Trump and DeSantis administrations are clearly stating that not all are welcome.

The Key West rainbow crosswalks, installed in 2015, have become an enduring symbol of tolerance and diversity. I moved to the Keys in 2023 and fell in love with the crosswalks. It gave me permission to be myself and wrapped all those who walked across it in a welcoming and independent spirit.

This action in Key West and elsewhere in the state is an effort to silence free expression and erase the LGBTQ community. The crosswalk’s removal won’t change the inclusive heart of the community, but what’s happening is more sinister.

Will we fight for what is right, loving and decent?

We should all be able to live life in full color. Everyone should take action to protect our freedoms, which should include keeping the rainbow crosswalks.

Kristin Battista-Frazee,

Big Pine Key

Alternate force

U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida wrote on X that universities (and everybody else, I imagine), will be under scrutiny to “do the right thing” and take “the right action” regarding hate speech. This echoes the Trump/Bondi response to Charlie Kirk’s murder.

When you abandon the rule of law, who then decides what “right” means?

John Jarnagin,

Key Largo

In or out

It’s getting more and more difficult (and riskier) trying to decide if one is in the group that is allowed to have an opinion, or in the group that is not. Jeff Parks,

Miami