The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee Monday urged Chairman Jerrold Nadler to hold hearings on the “dangerous phenomenon” of cancel culture.
Rep. Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican, wrote in the letter that cancel culture is “a serious threat to fundamental free speech rights in the United States.”
“If cancel culture continues unchallenged, it is not just the unpopular or controversial viewpoints are at risk,” he wrote. “Every viewpoint and every idea — whether widely accepted now or not — runs the risk of eventually falling into disfavor with the ever-changing standards of cancel culture.”
A spokesperson for Mr. Nadler, New York Democrat, did not return a request for comment.
Mr. Jordan ticked several examples of cancel culture, including college campuses refusing to hold lectures because students disagree with the speaker; a New York Times editorial page editor resigning after publishing an opinion by Sen Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican, and Amazon refusing to sell books by a conservative author.
“Cancel culture is a dangerous phenomenon whether you agree or disagree with the views being censored,” Mr. Jordan wrote. “Our society must always promote the free exchange of ideas, not cancel the ideas with which we disagree.”
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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