Statement from the Redefining Freedom Center
On the Firing of Jimmy Kimmel, FCC Censorship Threats, and University Crackdowns on Speech
September 18, 2025
At the Redefining Freedom Center, we exist to defend the very principle upon which America was founded: freedom. Today, that principle is under grave assault.
This week, the firing of comedian Jimmy Kimmel, coupled with public threats from the Federal Communications Commission to punish or silence comedians and citizens who offend political sensibilities, represents a stunning violation of the First Amendment. The government has no place policing jokes, satire, or political commentary. That is not America. That is censorship, plain and simple.
Likewise, we are deeply troubled by the actions of major universities such as Clemson and Ball State, which have terminated faculty for expressing views, however unpopular or controversial. ABC News and Sinclair Broadcasting must also be held to account for actions that undermine the freedom of their journalists and on-air talent to speak truth without fear of reprisal. When powerful institutions—whether government or corporate—decide what can and cannot be said, we cease to be a free people.
The Founders enshrined the First Amendment precisely because speech that challenges, provokes, or even offends must be protected. A society that only permits speech it agrees with is not free—it is controlled.
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, we call on citizens of every political persuasion to unite in defense of freedom. We must reject censorship, reject authoritarianism, and recommit ourselves to the principle that the cure for speech we dislike is not silencing it—but more speech, more debate, more ideas.
Our nation’s greatness has always been built on robust, open, and sometimes uncomfortable dialogue. That is how we grow. That is how we remain free.
Freedom of speech is non-negotiable. At the Redefining Freedom Center, we will stand, without apology, for the right of all Americans—left, right, or center—to speak without fear.
Sophia A. Nelson, Esq.
Founder & CEO
Redefining Freedom Center
www.redefiningfreedomcenterofvirginia.org
