By Peter Heck
“We informed The Daily Stormer that they have 24 hours to move the domain to another provider, as they have violated our terms of service.”
GoDaddy didn’t elaborate on what term was specifically violated, other than to mention the incitement of violence, but with the disgusting hatred that regularly fills the pages of this buffoonish website, it undoubtedly ran afoul of many conditions of decency.
The web hosting service began being inundated with demands on social media for them to kick the Daily Stormer to the curb after the white supremacists helped organize and promote the ignoble “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville that erupted into tragic violence this last weekend. To add disgusting icing to their hate cake, the Stormer later published a revolting and detestable article about victim Heather Heyer after she was killed by James Alex Fields Jr. while counter-protesting.
Unsurprisingly, a handful of folks without even a basic understanding of the Bill of Rights and the rights of conscience it enshrines have take umbrage at GoDaddy’s plans and have blasted them for “silencing free speech.” Good grief that’s dumb.
The First Amendment protects an individual’s right to speak their mind free from government coercion or censorship. GoDaddy is not the government. They are a private business, and as conservatives have been arguing for years now in the cases of fascist LGBT groups shutting down bakeries and florist shops, the First Amendment also protects private individuals to conduct their private businesses according to the dictates of their own conscience.
GoDaddy may provide a public service, but they are allowed to set moral terms and conditions for who they will serve and who they will deny. If white supremacists get mad about that, who cares? They can take their hateful speech elsewhere to someone willing to help promote their message. And if they can’t find a web hosting service willing to do so, they can either attempt to create one themselves, or resort to standing on a street corner shouting their offensive ideas. That is the essence of the First Amendment in America.
It has been the fascists on the left that have failed to understand that reality for some time. How delightful to see they are now being joined by fascists on the right. You can believe what you want to believe and say what you want to say, but you don’t get to force me, GoDaddy, or anyone else to promote it.
