That letter in Harper’s:

Instructive to see this during a Black-led revolution against systemic racism and brutality in all institutions - not just the police.

At a time when voices long kept out of institutions are heard, so many voices most buoyed by institutions complain.

It’s truly astounding.

This appears as Trump week in and week out rails against “radical left fascism” to describe those of us speaking back to powers who have long dominated.

And we - those finally being heard - are the “danger” and not those long in power?!

Power hates to be challenged, doesn’t it?

And that letter is just the beginning of the whining and lashing out that you will hear as we challenge that power.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump read out that letter at his next rally while saying “See! I told you.”

Imagine allying with Stephen Miller - who surely coined “radical left fascism.”

I am Egyptian-American. I know censorship. I’ve been censored by regimes in Saudi Arabia and Egypt and the latter sent their police to break my arms and sexually assault me because I won’t shut up.

And facing consequences for commissioning an oped by a Senator supporting the deployment of the military to quash protests isn’t “illiberal,” it’s holding power accountable. It’s the consequence of abusing power. This isn’t a thought exercise. Our lives are on the line.

This is the extension of the “freedom of speech” argument that demands the freedom to be racist or misogynist or transphobic without consequence.

Only now it’s couched as “cancel culture” & “left wing fascism”

Which by the way DOESNT FUCKING EXIST. Fascism is a right wing thing

So now I want to know if all the signatories to that whining actually read what they signed onto.

And if they’d be happy for Trump to read out their names at his next rally as examples of those who support his railing against “cancel culture.”

Also - did everyone who signed that letter know who their co-signatories were?

I am guessing an email was sent asking “Sign a letter supporting freedom of expression?”

Did they read it? Did they ask to see who else signed?

The letter in Harper’s mentions alarm over editors getting fired. Did it include, I wonder, an editor fired from Harper’s itself because he opposed publishing Katie Roiphe’s anti #MeToo article. Or is it alarm just for Jim Bennet and Ian Buruma (signatory) https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/2018/2/5/16971286/katie-roiphe-harpers-twitter-moira-donegan-me-too-movement