Why is freedom of speech even important? Most people don’t even think about it, and yet it’s everywhere in our lives. Imagine not being able to see certain things online, or not being able to give your opinion on something. Freedom of speech without government retaliation is so important that the Founding Fathers made it the First Amendment, which also protects freedom of the press and religion. 

On September 17, 2025, well-known comedian and late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel, was "indefinitely pulled from the network” by Disney after comments Kimmel made about the death of Charlie Kirk. As the parent company of ABC, Disney had the right to remove Kimmel from the air, but they were met with immediate backlash from both Democrats and Republicans. In the following week, Disney lost approximately 4.2 billion dollars and more than 1.7 million people canceled their Disney+ and Hulu subscription, according to the Express Tribune. The show’s return on September 23, was the most watched episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on YouTube to date.

The reason so many people were outraged wasn’t that their favorite late night show was off the air, but that, according to PBS, “Trump’s administration has used threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry.” In his first monologue after being off the air, Kimmel said,“This show is not important, what’s important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.” 

The dictionary defines freedom of speech as “the right to express any opinion without censorship from the government.” Following the events of the past few months, people are worried that their rights are being taken away. “How (freedom of speech) affects politics is, people in power don’t like what some people say,” says Oregon student K.C, eighth grade. “The people who are speaking out are getting told to stop.” Hopefully the American people continue to speak out against censorship. Even if they don’t have the same views, everyone still deserves the right to have their voices heard.

CITATIONS:

• Youngs, I. (2025, September 19). US TV hosts back Jimmy Kimmel and lampoon Donald Trump in free speech row. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyxjve3pe2o

• Comiter, J. (2025, September 18). Is Jimmy Kimmel Live! canceled? What we know about the Late-Night show’s ‘Indefinite’ hiatus. People.com. https://people.com/is-jimmy-kimmel-live-canceled-what-to-know-11812546 

• Art, P. C. &. (2025, September 23). Did Disney lose 5 billion before bringing Jimmy Kimmel back. The Express Tribune. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2568500/did-disney-lose-5-billion-before-bringing-jimmy-kimmel-back 

• Jimmy Kimmel is set to return to his late-night show after ABC lifts suspension, but some stations won’t carry him. (2025, September 23). PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/jimmy-kimmel-is-set-to-return-to-his-late-night-show-after-abc-lifts-suspension-but-some-stations-wont-carry-him 

• Jimmy Kimmel Live. (2025, September 24). Jimmy Kimmel is Back! [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1tjh_ZO_tY