Protect free speech, or prepare to lose it

In Santa Fe, freedom of speech is cherished. Unless what’s being presented is a point of view with which certain community groups disagree. It has recently become an all-handson-deck effort to get events canceled, and a speech, a concert or just an opinion silenced. That’s wrong.

It is acceptable to protest, to boycott, to decry the viewpoints or otherwise speak out against views with which you take issue. This is true even when events are unfolding before the eyes of the world, as has been happening since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The massacre of more than 1,100 civilians, taking of hostages and the response by Israel — fierce bombing and the subsequent deaths of thousands of Palestinians — have divided the world, including Santa Fe.

Now, two Santa Fe events by supporters of Israel have been canceled because of security concerns.

In February, a concert by international rapper Matisyahu at Meow Wolf was called off because officials there believed potential protests would make the concert unsafe. That was only one reason, though. Enough workers at the art collective evidently did not want to work at the show of a performer whose viewpoints on Israel and Gaza they found abhorrent.

More recently, Global Santa Fe was scheduled to present Livia Link-Raviv at a talk in Santa Fe next week. She is Israeli consul general to the Southwestern United States, an area that includes New Mexico. The event was scheduled at Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado, but members of pro-Palestinian groups in Santa Fe flooded the business with calls and emails in opposition. Just like the bosses at Meow Wolf, management at the resort canceled the talk, believing they could not guarantee the safety of speakers or attendees.

A social media post from New Mexico Jews for a Free Palestine had asked people to call and complain, saying, “We don’t want racist hate and genocide apologia in our community; we want this to be a safe place for everyone.”

However, if supporters of Israel cannot speak out, it already is not safe for everyone.

If hotels and concert venues believe they cannot conduct events because of threats, it is not safe for everyone.

If individuals feel threatened simply because they are working at an event, it is not safe for everyone.

Many of those calling and sending emails, to be sure, simply opposed the talk, and Shawn McQueen of Global Santa Fe said only a few of the emails or calls rose to the level of threats. Global Santa Fe also offered Link-Raviv the option to be interviewed in a secure location and have the talk broadcast to all, but she declined.

To be clear, the presence of protesters does not in itself make an event unsafe. Peaceful protest is a protected action, even when that protest is loud or unpleasant. People who support a cease-fire in Gaza and want Israeli bombs to stop falling will continue to make their views known. Protest is part of our political process. But so is letting people speak.

On Feb. 16, the Poets for Palestine event held a fundraiser for the Middle East Children’s Alliance. By all accounts, it was a resounding success. People were turned away. It is safe to assume viewpoints at that event would be disputed by others in the Santa Fe community. But the event went on. Ideas were heard, emotions expressed. The audience had a chance to listen. That’s how it should be.

Remember, free speech is not simply about the person talking. It’s not just about that person’s right to speech. Free speech also is about allowing others to hear. Stopping Link-Raviv’s speech means Santa Fe people lost the opportunity to listen, to question, perhaps even to denounce actions with which they disagree. Shutting down speech reduces the opportunity for debate, not just for the event in question but potentially going forward.

In Santa Fe, where navel-gazing is a sport, extremists on all sides are diminishing freedom for the rest of us. What’s clear in this is that many people really aren’t interested in rational, respectful discussion. That’s anti-American. Threats to speakers or performers, real or perceived, are anti-American. Letters that compare people who hold different political viewpoints to Goebbels or Hitler are anti-American. These people don’t want the rest of us to hear the Israeli stance. Or the Hamas/Palestinian stance. They want people who couldn’t find Gaza on a map to battle one another, to hurt one another, in a city whose name literally means holy faith.

Santa Fe must stop letting the loudest shouters shut down events. Free speech must be for everyone, or eventually, for no one.