Four years ago, I recommended to friends that they find an alternative to Facebook in case Facebook got shut down or if the censorship on the site became TOO oppressive.  In the months leading up to the 2020 election, we all started to feel the suppression of posts and noticed the ability to speak freely was slipping away.

About that time,  I heard about and had migrated partially over to Parler, thinking it would be a good back up in the event I needed an alternative way to get news and pay attention to the evolving political landscape.      I heard Parler at the time had about as many subscribers as Twitter.   Twitter was a wasteland owned and operated by the left and it wasn’t my cup of tea, so I chose Parler.  I encouraged several others to do the same thing. I told a number of friends about Parler and some joined me over there.  It was kinda getting fun.

After the 2020 election, when “they” (whoever THEY are/were) decided they didn’t want to hear things that hurt their ears, “they” turned up the censorship on Facebook and Twitter, and hard-killed Parler.    As  I understand it, pressure was put on Apple web services to deny Parler access to the internet.   Though they had their own website, if no one would host their platform, they were in effect killed off.     Millions of people lost access to a social medial spot they were enjoying, and, oh by the way, a business was bludgeoned.  A viable business was killed off via censorship.

As most of us recall, Twitter and Facebook were eliminating and censoring things they didn’t like.  Ask anyone who spoke against vaccines, for Ivermectin or questioned the political dogma of the left. People got banned from sites and lots of people got aggravated with the business practices that seemed something akin to East Germany in the 1970s. YouTube was apparently in on it and they banned things and people they didn’t want to hear or things that leftist officials thought were dangerous, incorrect, or contrary to what the rulers on the hard left wanted.

I hated it.  I detested the collusion between government and communication channels.   It felt like the USSR in some ways.  I still hate it.

Four years later, things have settled a little.   Elon Musk bought Twitter and Facebook has kind of returned to normal.    But the war drums of new censorship are heard in the distance.

This time, however, there are actual alternatives that might survive the censorship efforts.  I doubt anyone can survive if the government decides to put its foot on the neck of free speech, but in the world of internet and digital media, there really are alternatives that MAY survive.    But make no mistake:  A big effort to suppress is enroute.    It’s coming from the left and it’s going to be draped in the mantra of stopping “disinformation”.   What some may call free speech or even truth, the hard left loves to call disinformation.

I love Facebook.   I love the times when it’s a place where information can be shared and where people can talk about sports, watch funny reels, discuss local events and share interesting things.   But  I hate it when it devolves into anger and censorship.  I’m on Facebook for as long as I can be.

But I am now on Twitter (now X).  I am keeping Twitter because I am grateful that Elon Musk made the decision to buy a place where information can be shared.   He’s now universally hated on the left for letting people like me speak, and for that I am thankful.    It doesn’t feel perfect, but it’s much less bad than it used to be.  Lots of goofy and bizarre folks are over there, but goofy and bizarre are not illegal.  It’s a free country.  Sort of.

I’m also on RUMBLE. For those unfamiliar, Rumble is an alternative is a free speech alternative to YOUTUBE.  YOUTUBE still pulls down things for silly reasons. I posted a speech I delivered on the floor of the Louisiana House about Ivermectin actually winning a Nobel Prize for treatment of human conditions, and YouTube pulled it down because it went against their community standards.   I put the same file Rumble at the same time and it’s never moved.   Ivermectin for Louisiana: Comments by State Representative Charles Owen (rumble.com)

I’m told that “they” are aiming at both RUMBLE and TWITTER in the near term to have them both run out of business.   I hope “they” fail miserably.

I’m also on Truth Social, out of spite.  I don’t get on it much, but I keep it as a back up. Let us not forget that the media tried to close the mouth of the 45^th president. They failed. Truth Social is the only place we know we can hear from former President Trump.  Leftists are fearful of and won’t even speak the name of Truth Social, however, which is what makes it worth keeping.

But, my recommendation is the same this time as it was last time—get a back up plan for information sources and for communication.  There’s no telling what the bad guys have in store. “They” don’t like the fact that they can’t control every word out of our mouths.  Don’t put all your eggs in one basketball.

Defy the censors.  Speak up.   Speak loudly.    Be peaceful.