Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider blasted Elon Musk for allowing controversial commentator Alex Jones back on X, formerly Twitter. This is hardly surprising considering the rocker recently declared that statements that “hurt people psychologically” does not qualify as free speech.
Posting on X, Snider observed that Musk permitted Jones and “other false prophets” to utilize the platform. “This isn’t free speech. These are awful people knowingly spreading falsehoods with malevolent intent. It may be time to leave X & sell my Tesla. Standby.”
Musk asked X users if he should allow Jones to return to the site, and roughly 70% out of over two million respondents said he should.
The outspoken Snider ventured into political ranting in recent years, including a diatribe concerning online speech in general and Musk specifically in October.
He told Blabbermouth, “There’s this idea, and Elon Musk is the champion of it, that free speech is saying anything you want whenever you want. That is not what they meant when they wrote the First Amendment.”
'This isn't free speech': Dee Snider threatens to leave X, sell his Tesla over Elon Musk reactivating Alex Jones' account https://t.co/rySb0wKKxE pic.twitter.com/9R3QGpkFNd
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) December 15, 2023
Snider claimed that speech that could harm another person, “whether it’s physical or mental,” was never allowed. Apparently, he believes that the current cancel culture that seeks to erase non-leftist expression has been around since the nation’s founding.
At one time, Snider was a champion of free speech.
In his 1980’s heyday, he was famous for the smash hit “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” He also drew acclaim for defending the rights of musicians and artists over their craft.
The Parents Music Resource Council (PMRC), led by Democrat Tipper Gore, raged about suggestive lyrics from various performers. Congressional hearings were held and the rating system that adorns physical copies of recordings was implemented.
Snider countered her arguments with a vigorous defense of the principles of free speech.
Much more recently, in 2021, the singer railed against cancel culture as “censorship.” He noted that where once the fight was against conservatives, “now censorship still exists, but it’s gone from the right more to the left.”
As for Jones, his voice is back on X where people may follow or mute him. He was forced by court decision to pay $1.5 billion to parents of slain children in the Sandy Hook massacre over discredited claims the tragedy was a “false flag.”
