Ball State Employee faces Backlash After Facebookโ Post Followingโฃ Charlie Kirk‘s Death
Muncie, IN – Suzanne Swierc, a ball โState University employee, experienced a surge of harassment and threats after a private Facebook post expressing her disapproval of Charlie Kirk was publicly shared following his death on September 10th at Utah Valleyโ University. The incident highlights the escalating tensions surrounding political discourse and the โpotential consequences ofโข online expression.
The controversy began when Swierc posted on โคFacebook, “If you think Charlie Kirk was a marvelous person, we can’t be friends.” though her Facebookโค settings were private, a screenshot โคof the post was taken and disseminated widely online.Within 19 minutes,the post appeared on the X account of Libs of TikTok,a social media account known forโฃ its coverage of social and political issues. Elon Musk, Rudy Giuliani, and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita alsoโฃ shared or commented on โthe post, with Rokita labelingโ Swierc’s comments “vile” and โขquestioning her suitability for a leadership position.
swierc subsequently received a barrage of threatening calls,texts,and voicemails. โฃ”They were โcalling me all kinds of names, threatening my job,” she told The New York Times. “It was every awful curseโ word under the sun.” She immediatly alerted her supervisor, fearing for her employment.
The incident comes amid broader โฃconcerns aboutโ political polarization and the willingnessโข of individuals to โexpress strong โopinions online. Some observers have noted a perceived disparity in tolerance for political expression, with claims thatโ those on the left are more likely to endorse or support political violence. This โคcase also โunderscores the increasingly blurred lines between private and public online spaces, as even private social media posts can quickly become public through screenshots and shares.โข
The โsituation raises questions about the boundaries of free speech, the responsibilities of socialโ media platforms, and the potential repercussions for individuals who express controversial opinions online.
Disney Faces Boycott Pressure as Marvel Stars Join Calls to Cancel Subscriptions Overโ Jimmyโค Kimmel Controversy
LOSโฃ ANGELES – september 20, 2025 – Aโฃ growing chorus of Marvel actors are amplifying calls for a boycott of Disney+ and other disney-owned platforms following the fallout from late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s recent controversial monologue and subsequent firing.The โescalating dispute centers on concerns over potential government overreach into free speech, sparkedโ by FCC Commissioner Brendanโฃ Carr’s suggestion that Disney should โface scrutiny for employingโ Kimmel.
The controversy began after Kimmel made remarks perceived as critical of a prominent conservative figure, leading to widespread outrage and demandsโข for his removal. While Kimmel was ultimatelyโ fired, Carrโฃ indicated he would pursue further action, โฃsuggesting the FCC could โฃinvestigate Disney’s licensing based on the content aired. This prompted a backlash from both โsides of the political spectrum, with some conservatives celebrating Kimmel’s dismissal but voicing alarm over potential government censorship. the situation has ignitedโ a debate about the limits of free speech andโ the role ofโ regulatory bodies in policing content. Disney, already navigating a challenging media landscape, now faces a potential โfinancial hit as subscribers heed boycott calls.
Senator Ted Cruz, chairman of the senate Commerceโค Committee, wich has jurisdiction over the FCC, sharply criticized Carr’s remarks โas “perilousโ as hell,” warning against a future where the government can influence broadcastโฃ networks’ content. โ”Iโค hate what โJimmy Kimmel said. I am thrilled โขthat he was fired,” Cruz said Fridayโข on his podcast.โฃ “But โlet me tell you, if the government โขgets in the business of saying, โฃ’We don’t like what you, the media, have said, we’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t sayโฃ what we like’-that will end up bad for conservatives.”
Several prominent Marvel actors have publicly voiced support for the boycott,โ sharing messages on social media encouraging fans to cancel their Disney+ subscriptions. While specific subscription numbers impacted by the boycott are not yet available, industry analysts predict a potential decline in viewership if the controversy continues to escalate. carr told CNBC that “we’re not done yet.”
The debate extends beyond โคKimmel’s specific case, raising broader โฃquestions aboutโข the future of free speech in the media and the potential forโฃ political interference in content creation. The FCC’sโข role and its authority to regulate content based on viewpoint remain central to the ongoing discussion.
‘Americaโ is not happy’: โABCโ faces backlash after axing Jimmy Kimmel Live!
ABC โis weathering a storm of criticism after announcing the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with viewersโ accusing โthe network ofโค caving to politicalโค pressure fromโข Federal Communications Commission (FCC) โคCommissioner Brendan Carr โคand former President โฃDonaldโ Trump.
The decision sparked immediate outrage online, โคwith โmanyโ threatening to boycott ABC and its parent company, Disney. One complainant,claiming a history of escaping socialism,directly accused the network of suppressing free speech and mirroring tacticsโข used by authoritarian โregimes: “Can you explain โwhy you actively trying to destroy free speech and the first amendment? I grew up inโค the socialism and went through hell to escape and now you act exactly like them.”
Concerns wereโฃ raised โregarding pending merger deals involving Nexstar โขand Sinclair before the FCC,leading some to speculateโ the cancellation wasโข motivated byโฃ securing approval for those deals. โค”Shame, Shame, Shame. Folded to โthe bully โCarr and Trump.โ All for theโ pending sale?” one viewer wrote.
Others expressed โขthier anger more directly, with oneโ commenter labeling the move a “Gestapo Takeover by the Trump administration” and vowing to stop watchingโข all ABC shows. The online discourse โalso โincluded references to historical dictatorships, invoking what is known as Godwin’s law.
Not all feedback was negative. Aโ small number of respondents stated they dislikedโ Kimmel’s comedy and welcomed his departure,โ with โขone โฃwriting, “Evenโ thoughโฃ I never watch ABCโฆI โขappreciate that you had the โgood sense to boot Kimmel.”โ Another criticโ dismissed Kimmel โคas “totally talentless.”
Viewers wishing to provide feedback to ABC can do so through the โฃnetwork’sโ online contact form: โ https://support.abc.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360003079511.
A recent articleโฃ in ABC News highlighted concerns about the future of late-night television, noting Jimmy โฃKimmel’s โdeparture amidโค a changing mediaโค landscape.(https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-18/jimmy-kimmel-stephen-colbert-late-night-in-trump-america/105788394)
Hollywood Presentation decries ‘Jimmy Kimmel โขLive!’ Suspension as Threat to Free Speech
HOLLYWOOD, CA – Demonstratorsโ gathered outside the โคEl Capitan Entertainment Center onโค Thursday to โคprotest โคABC‘s decision โto temporarily suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show โfollowing aโ controversial monologue,โค arguing โฃthe move sets a โคperilous precedent for censorship adn political interference. Protesters voiced โconcerns thatโฃ the suspension stemmed โฃnot from the content of Kimmel’s โฃremarks, but from fear of backlash related to the ongoing โคinquiry involving โคformer President Donald Trump and his allies.
The suspension of “Jimmy kimmel Live!” โขhas ignited a debate overโ the boundariesโค of political โขsatire and the โpotential for external pressures to stifleโข free expression.The โขincident underscores โคgrowing anxieties about โtheโค vulnerability of journalistic and artistic independence in โan increasingly polarized climate, with advocates warning that self-censorship could become commonplace โif networks prioritize avoiding controversy over upholding First โคAmendment principles.
Theโ protest drew individualsโข representing a range ofโค viewpoints, united โขby a shared belief that Kimmel’s show should not haveโฃ been taken off the air. Some demonstratorsโฃ characterized Kimmel’s monologue โคas being inโค “bad faith,” but still maintainedโ thatโฃ aโฃ suspension was an overreaction and a potential harbinger of broader censorship.
“There’s a lotโข of people that are hurting from โwhat happened โand to say something about it, or to blame somebody โคforโค it, and โคyou don’t realy have the evidence, we don’t need that,” said selassie Blackwell, a participant in the demonstration.”I didn’t โฃthink that shouldโ have gone to the extreme to cancel his showโฆ it’s โขstill free speech.”
other protesters suggested the โขnetwork’s response was driven by apprehension over potential retaliation from Trump supporters, rather than the substance of kimmel’s critique.โ “I’m dumbstruck because it’s not that he said anything against โCharlie Kirk,” stated McKensie Lara, anotherโข protester.โ “ABCโ was so scared โabout the retaliationโฃ from Trump that they shut him down.”
Jessicaโ Brown, 41, joined Thursday’s demonstration, adding to the chorusโฃ of โvoices calling for anโ end to what they perceive as a growing โขtrend of silencing dissenting opinions. The demonstration reflects a โฃbroader concernโ about the potential for political pressure toโ influence media content and limit publicโฃ discourse.
Late Night Under Fire: Stewart and Colbert Respond to Kimmel โขSuspension โข& “Theโค Late Show” Hiatus
recent events in late-nightโค television – โthe suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show on ABC and the announced hiatus of Stephen Colbert’s “The Lateโข Show” – have sparked a debateโค over political pressure and free speech, drawing commentary from veteran comediansโ Jon Stewart and David Letterman.
The suspension of Kimmel followed comments made duringโค his Monday night monologue regarding the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. ABC took Kimmel โฃoff the air Wednesday, a โdecision โคquickly criticized as capitulation to political pressure.The Federalโฃ Communications Commission (FCC) is now facing potential action from Commissioner Nathan Carr, who suggested Disney, ABC’s parent company, either address Kimmel’s comments or face further scrutiny.โค Former President Donald Trump โคcelebrated the suspension on his Truth Social platform, incorrectly stating the show was “cancelled.”
Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show”โ is currently on hiatus, โwithโข a scheduled return following theโ November 2024 presidential election. โคKelly, a previous guest, last appeared onโ the โขshow last year discussing border security and gun reform.
David Letterman,who previously hosted โ”The Late Show” on CBS,described โฃthe situation as “misery” during a panel conversation moderated by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg. He directly linked the events to political pressure, โstating, “Youโ can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian – a criminal -โฃ management in the โOval office.” Letterman noted that during his three decades in late night, he never experiencedโ government interference โคin his comedic critiques of presidents.
While Kimmel has not publicly commented on his show’s suspension,actress Jean Smart,who plays a fictional late-nightโฃ host on the HBO Max series “Hacks,” voiced strong support for Kimmel onโ Instagram,stating his comments were “FREE speech,not hate speech.”โ She alsoโ expressed dismay over Kirk’s death, irrespective of political affiliation, โand questioned the direction of the contry.
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