OPINION | EDITORIAL: Score one for free speech

Book publication is staying on track

THE PUBLISHER now known as Penguin Random House is incubating an important egg: free speech.

The publishing house is facing backlash for its plans to publish a book by Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, she of the “Conservative Six.” An online petition asking Penguin to reconsider its plans has attracted more than 600 signatures from various authors, translators, agents and even company employees, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Justice Barrett’s offense? Her vote in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade. The petition claims her vote represents an attack on human rights, including those to privacy, self determination and bodily autonomy.

The publisher’s response? The book will be published as planned.

“In an intelligent free society, we need to disseminate ideas in a robust form so that we can discuss them,” a company spokesman reminded. “We remain fully committed to publishing authors who, like Justice Barrett, substantively shape today’s most important conversations.” A novel concept, as it were: allowing people to read and evaluate books on their own. One is left to presume that those who signed the petition believe in censoring opposing views, that the pro-life movement represents seditious activity, or perhaps even both.

The book is scheduled to be released in 2024. Last year, Politico reported the book would be focused on why judges shouldn’t allow personal feelings to impact their decisions.

Mike Pence’s recently released memoir elicited similar angst when his two-book deal with Simon & Schuster was announced. More than 200 employees of the publisher called for the deal to be terminated. It wasn’t.

Earlier in 2021, Simon & Schuster made a different kind of business decision. In the aftermath of Jan. 6 and Josh Hawley’s refusal to certify the results of the 2020 election, it chose not to publish the Missouri senator’s “The Tyranny of Big Tech.” The publisher certainly has the right to publish what it wants, and/or refuse other requests.

For the record, that book was later published by another house. Which only makes sense in a country in which free speech, and a free economy, owns most of the playing field. And often scores.

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