I have some very exciting news for all of my friends that have joined me on Parler. According to TheBlaze, Parler is back! For anyone who is not familiar with what Parler is, where have you been?! But seriously, for those not familiar with Parler, it quickly rose to prominence as the number one social media platform for free speech. Until the app was taken off of all available places, it had increased to the number one downloaded app for a time.
Before being de-platformed by Amazon Web Services last month, the site had built up an impressive total of approximately 30 million users. However, it was falsely accused of promoting hate speech, violence, and conspiracy theories in light of the Capitol Hill riot some Trump supporters took part in on January 6, which led to minor damage to the United States Capitol Building and several deaths. Critics accused Parler of creating an environment for such events to occur, although I contend Parler had nothing to do with what happened in Washington D.C. The real reason anti-free speech people hate Parler is--well, because of all the free speech is allowed on there. Anti-Parleyers say that it should hold to the same censorship guidelines practiced by Facebook and Twitter. But if it did that, there would be no reason for it to exist. That's the entire reason Parler was developed, because of the censorship practiced by mainstream social media platforms.
Parler has been looking for a new client to host its website ever since what Amazon Web Services did to them back in January. They say that their new platform "is built on robust, sustainable, independent technology" and is available immediately for current users. If you have not already signed up for a Parler account, though, they say you may not be able to do that until some time next week.
That's not the only recent change at Parler. It is also has a new interim CEO. John Matze is now no longer CEO of Parler. The temporary new Chief Executive Officer is Mark Meckler, a grassroots conservative activist who is also President of Citizens for Self-Governance, a co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, and a leader in the Article V Convention of States movement. "Parler was built to offer a social media platform that protects free speech and values privacy and civil discourse. When Parler was taken offline in January by those who desire to silence tens of millions of Americans, our team came together, determined to keep our promise to our highly engaged community that we would return stronger than ever. We're thrilled to welcome everyone back," Meckler said. "Parler is being run by an experienced team and is here to stay. We will thrive as the premier social media platform dedicated to free speech, privacy, and civil dialogue."
Dan Bongino, another name well-known in conservative circles as well as a Parler investor, said, "Cancel culture came for us and hit us with all they had. Yet we couldn't be kept down. We're back, and we're ready to resume the struggle for freedom of expression, data sovereignty, and civil discourse. We thank our users for their loyalty during this incredibly challenging time." I couldn't agree more with what Bongino said here. The entire problem that people have with Parler is that it stands for free speech, and there are way too many people that are uncomfortable with free speech. Last year, the Pacific Legal Foundation reported that 61% of Americans agree that free speech should be restricted. 51% believe that the First Amendment, ratified in 1791, should be rewritten to reflect today's contemporary cultural norms. Millennials feel a greater sense of negativity about free speech. 57% agree that the First Amendment should be rewritten. 54% believe that possible jail time would be an appropriate consequence for “hate speech.” 36% of Americans support a government agency reviewing alternative media such as podcasts. Less than half of Americans oppose this. So we have a long way to go in this battle to preserve the free exchange of ideas. This is a huge victory, but it's not over. Suppose growing percentages of younger generations continue to see free speech as a problem. In that case, the road will get tougher until, one day, those of us who love free speech are outnumbered and wholly silenced. Free speech is one of the most significant parts of what makes America what it is. If we lose that, we lose everything that goes with it. Pray, and don't be silent!
