Variety reports that Joni Mitchell is joining Neil Young in asking that her music be removed from the Spotify platform. Mitchell declared on her website that: “I’ve decided to remove all my music from Spotify. Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.”
The removal is to protest Spotify’s contract with MAGA dumbass Joe Rogan, whose talk radio program has actively promoted vaccine skepticism, and opposition to masking requirements in schools and other public places.
MAGA dumbasses are predictably responding with rants of “Oh, so now Joni Mitchell doesn’t believe in freedom of speech!” but the problem with their rants is Mitchell has a right to speak freely as well. Freedom of speech does not mean that everyone else is required to bite their tongue while you spew lies and slander. All Freedom of Speech means is that, so long as you don’t go engaging in violent threats and actively trying to promote violence against others, you cannot be thrown in prison for things you say. Other Americans have the same right to offer a response to your speech as you do to initiate that speech.