Kerby Anderson

“The online mob came for Harald Uhlig.” That is how a recent column by John Stossel begins. The University of Chicago professor is also the head of the Journal of Political Economy but found himself under investigation because he tweeted that Black Lives Matter “torpedoed itself, with its full-fledged support of #defund the police.” He was just another example of how the cancel culture movement tries to destroy the career of someone they dislike. Earlier this month I wrote about how the cancel culture online mob came for J.K. Rowling, the famous author of the Harry Potter book series. She has made comments as a feminist that were perceived as transphobic. Some of the staff of her current publisher refused to work on her book. John Stossel in his video on the online mob gives a number of examples of men and women who were forced out of their job because they said something true about the Black Lives Matter movement or failed to agree with the prevailing views about racism or transgenderism. It is likely that some will survive, but others will face opposition for years to come. But what about less prominent people who are targeted? Paul Bradford writes about “The Real Cancel Culture” and provides stories of students who were expelled for making statements that the online mob felt were offensive. The column goes on to tell the stories of a Vermont principal, a nurse in North Carolina, and a Catholic priest, all removed from their jobs. These people (and others mentioned in the piece) are less likely to recover from the actions of the online mob. Sometimes skeptics argue that there is no cancel culture. These columns provide ample evidence that the cancel culture is real and remind us that we need to stand up for truth and free speech.