Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib needs to read the Constitution.
OK, so that’s not a massively enlightening statement. But it turns out that the foul-mouthed socialist congresswoman is even more ignorant of our founding documents than you might think – in that apparently, she believes getting called out for making stupid statements amounts to being deprived of “free speech.”
Which…well, it doesn’t.
In a much-maligned tweet Friday, Tlaib asserted that “Freedom of speech doesn't exist for Muslim women in Congress” or “Congresswomen of color” after her colleague and fellow “Squad” member, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, was slammed by her fellow Democrats for comparing the United States and Israel to terrorist groups like Hamas and the Taliban.
“Freedom of speech doesn't exist for Muslim women in Congress. The benefit of the doubt doesn't exist for Muslim women in Congress. House Democratic leadership should be ashamed of its relentless, exclusive tone policing of Congresswomen of color,” Tlaib tweeted.
Freedom of speech doesn't exist for Muslim women in Congress. The benefit of the doubt doesn't exist for Muslim women in Congress. House Democratic leadership should be ashamed of its relentless, exclusive tone policing of Congresswomen of color.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) June 10, 2021
Related: Oh, the Irony: 'Squad' Members Accuse Fellow Dems of Inciting Violence Against Ilhan Omar
According to Tlaib, getting criticized for saying something as stupid as suggesting that the United States has committed “atrocities” comparable to the Taliban (which has literally beheaded journalists on camera and burned people alive in cages) is tantamount to being stripped of one’s “free speech.” Hilariously, Tlaib misses the salient point that if Muslim women and “congresswomen of color” were truly deprived of free speech, Omar wouldn’t have been able to say what she said in the first place – and Tlaib wouldn’t have the right to insult her critics without being thrown in jail for it.
But as usual, everything comes down to identity politics for those who lazy or incompetent to make a case based on logic and merit. For Tlaib – who’s gotten away with everything from calling Trump a “mother***er” at campaign rallies to encouraging violence against police – any criticism of a non-white representative is automatically racist simply because the person is a minority and should therefore be able to say whatever they want in whatever "tone" they choose without getting called out for it.
Because that’s what you say when you have no cogent argument and only care about clicks on a social media website.