AIM finally gets through to Teen Vogue readers as mag covers activism
October 31, 2023
Teen Vogue reports that students at Harvard are unhappy – worried even – about the actions of Accuracy in Media. To which we say good, that’s the point and purpose of our efforts. Those who support the slaughter of innocents should be worried about the reaction of people to their support.
When Molly* first heard that a truck was driving around her campus showing the faces and names of her friends and calling them “Harvard’s Leading Antisemites,” she felt a flood of emotion: fear, disgust, devastation. She watched as her friends appeared, one by one, on a large digital screen on the side of the truck, and she knew it was just a matter of time until her face was there, too.
That is indeed us, and we’re not just happy to admit it. It is necessary to point out to the young of today that we certainly have free speech in the United States. This includes – obviously – saying what we regard as vile things about beheading babies as being part of some freedom campaign.
No, no, we do support the right to say such things, to support Hamas. But as P.J. O’Rourke said, free speech comes with a duty, too, which is to put up with what people think about what you say. Everyone else has free speech, too, that is. You say something, and others get to have that same freedom. This may well include snarling at you for what you’ve said. Which is what is happening here and also, we insist, should happen.
It is not true that there is some woke and fashionable set of beliefs that gain access to those free speech protections, and anything against them does not. Nor is it true that people who say – what others think is – vile things get to hide. You’ve said it; you own it.
That this is now in Teen Vogue is the very point of what we do. We’ve critiqued Teen Vogue a lot over the years. We think Teen Vogue is wrong on many things (views on makeup and accessories we tend to pass by, but). We’ve pointed out where we think so, too.
Yet its tagline, its declared mission, is “Educating the influencers of tomorrow.” Which we agree is a noble goal, even as we disagree on what education is being offered. But now we’re managing to turn full circle. Teen Vogue is now reinforcing the effect of our public actions in its own reporting.
Yes, we all have free speech. This means everyone’s got free speech – and you’ll have to put up with what others say about what you’ve said. You’ll, as the phrase is, get called out on your statements.
This is a very useful piece of education for the influencers of tomorrow. The only pity is that we’ve had to force Teen Vogue into saying it rather than telling their readers such an obvious point about civil liberty and even civilization.
You do own what you say, and people will judge you on it.