Five medical associations have filed a brief to the Supreme Court in support of the federal government’s efforts to censor free speech.
The Missouri and Louisiana attorneys general filed the Murthy v. Missouri case, which could lead to a free speech victory, against the federal government for pressuring social media to censor content on COVID-19 vaccines and other policies. The American Medical Association (AMA), however, along with four other similar groups, are siding with the Biden administration and against free speech in an amicus brief. According to an announcement, AMA and its allies assert that the government should be allowed to crush free speech, if it claims to be helping save lives.
AMA whined that “disinformation diminished uptake of COVID-19 vaccines, which then limited the vaccines’ ability to save lives by controlling the spread of disease—thereby creating a compelling interest for the government to act.” Ironically, even healthcare and scientific experts, including mRNA scientist Dr. Robert Malone, were censored by social media. Independent journalist Lee Fang recently reported that vaccine maker Moderna coordinated with social media and private entities to censor speech and boost its profits.
Besides the AMA, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Geriatrics Society and the American College of Physicians filed the amicus brief supporting government censorship efforts. The brief, per AMA, argues that the vaccine saved thousands of lives and reduced the burden on the medical system. Thus the medical associations argue the government has a good reason for trying to silence alleged misinformation.
Ultimately, however, the fact remains that the First Amendment protects speech from government censorship, regardless of whether some medical experts believe it is harming uptake of their suggested healthcare response.
AMA cited FDA approval of vaccines even though the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines widely available to the public were never approved, only Emergency Use Authorized. “The declining vaccination uptake spurred by disinformation has also resulted in a resurgence of diseases—such as measles—that previously verged on eradication,” AMA’s brief claimed.
A number of the claims made online about COVID-19 that were censored for misinformation were later considered reasonable. For instance, NIAID official Dr. Anthony Fauci has admitted that social distancing was not scientific but arbitrary. The COVID-19 lab leak origin theory gained credibility even among some Biden officials, including the FBI. Meanwhile, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo is just one of numerous healthcare experts warning against the serious injury risks of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency and an equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
