FIRE

Last year, the police jailed Larry Bushart for 37 days on a $2M bond for posting a meme after Charlie Kirk’s murder. With our help, Larry sued Perry County, TN, and its sheriff for violating his rights in retaliation for his protected speech. He has received a $835K settlement.

Free speech doesn't defend itself, and we're looking for a lawyer ready to do the hard work. Join our litigation team as a Staff Attorney and help defend First Amendment rights in court and beyond. Apply now! 💼: fire.org/careers/staff-…

The books that matter most rarely leave everyone comfortable. The ideas that stick are the ones that unsettle you, not the ones that reassure you.

Judge Bibas has spent his career thinking about how legal systems shape speech, rights, and accountability in the real world. This will be a sharp, grounded conversation you won’t want to miss. 📅 November 4–6, 2026 📍 Philadelphia, PA soapbox.fire.org/Soapbox/

Judge Stephanos Bibas of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is joining us at Soapbox, our free speech conference. He’s argued before the Supreme Court six times and has written widely on criminal law and the justice system.

NEW INTERVIEW: LARRY BUSHART, the liberal Ex-cop jailed in PERRY COUNTY, TN for 37 days for posting a Trump meme about a Charlie Kirk vigil on Facebook His wife Leanne says he was a “political prisoner” — the $835,000 settlement they just got backs that up.

$22,567 per day. That’s what Perry County, TN will pay Larry Bushart for every day it kept him in jail over a Trump meme. He lost 37 days of his life and his job, and missed his anniversary and the birth of his grandchild. All for speech the First Amendment protects. Proud that @TheFIREorg helped Larry fight back and win, and even prouder that the First Amendment still has teeth.

Live from @nbcsnl, it’s our National Speech Index! 📺 The joke lands because the concern is real. Our report finds a record level of alarm about the direction of free speech in America. 📈 LEARN MORE ➡️ fire.org/news/new-high-…

Thomas Paine believed the United States had the potential to be a superpower for freedom and an “asylum for mankind.” But by the time of his death, he had largely fallen out of public favor. More on Paine's rise, impact, and complicated legacy. ⬇️ fire.org/news/thomas-pa…

Without the electric prose of Thomas Paine, there may not be an America. In 1776, “Common Sense” was a cry for individual liberty, freedom, and independence. It spread fast, sparked debate, and changed minds. Paine wrote words that changed the course of history.

Larry Bushart spent 37 days in jail for posting a meme on Facebook. I’ve been doing this work for 25 years, and I can honestly say this is the worst First Amendment case I’ve ever seen. Not because Larry threatened anyone. He didn’t. Not because he committed violence. He didn’t. Not because this was a close call. It wasn’t. He posted a political meme — the kind of thing millions of Americans do every day — and local officials decided to treat it like a crime. And because they had badges, prosecutors, jail cells, and the terrifying machinery of the state behind them, they got away with it for 37 days. Larry is a retired police officer and National Guard veteran. The meme he shared quoted Donald Trump’s “we have to get over it” comment after a 2024 Iowa school shooting. Whatever you think of Trump, the meme was plainly political commentary. Perry County officials knew what it referred to. They knew it wasn’t a threat against a Tennessee school. They arrested him anyway. In the middle of the night. They set his bond at $2 million. He lost his job. He missed family milestones. He sat in jail for more than a month before the charges finally collapsed — because, of course, there was no crime here. Today, @theFIREorg secured a measure of justice: Perry County agreed to pay Larry Bushart $835,000 for violating his constitutional rights. This case should scare the hell out of people across the political spectrum. Because if the government can jail you for a meme by pretending not to understand obvious political commentary, your rights are only as secure as the good faith of the most authoritarian official in your town. That is exactly why we have the First Amendment. Not for speech everyone likes. Not for opinions that flatter the powerful. Not for the bland, safe, committee-approved stuff. It exists for moments when fear, outrage, politics, and authority all line up and say: “Surely this is the exception.” No. It isn’t. I’m incredibly proud of @theFIREorg’s legal team. And I’m even prouder of Larry Bushart for refusing to let the government get away with treating his constitutional rights like a suggestion. But despite the correct verdict, I'll probably always get angry every time I think of this case. Let’s make this the last time anyone in America is arrested — let alone thrown in jail — for a meme. Celebrate your independence. Defend your First Amendment. fire.org/news/victory-t…

No American should spend 5 minutes in jail for posting a meme, let alone the 37 days Larry Bushart endured. I'm extremely proud of my @TheFIREorg colleagues for securing this result. And I'm extremely grateful to Larry for trusting us to right this wrong.

“I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,” said Larry. “The people’s freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy. I am looking forward to moving on and spending time with my family.” fire.org/news/victory-t…

Last year, the police jailed Larry Bushart for 37 days on a $2M bond for posting a meme after Charlie Kirk’s murder. With our help, Larry sued Perry County, TN, and its sheriff for violating his rights in retaliation for his protected speech. He has received a $835K settlement.

An NJ town council refused to pay its bill for ads in a local news outlet, not because of any problem with the ads, but because council members are mad about "false" reporting. Wildly unconstitutional and an apparent breach of contract. All on video: youtube.com/watch?v=IxJEfM…

4/ Either the government is tracking people for protesting it — an alarming abuse of power — or officials are using threats to intimidate critics into silence. Both are unacceptable. We’re fighting to make sure free speech doesn’t come with a watchlist. fire.org/news/fire-sues…

3/ It’s unclear if the database exists, but a string of federal comments suggests it might — including references to creating a database of people accused of interfering in ICE operations and collecting images, license plates, and identifying information on protesters.

LAWSUIT: Americans have the right to know if our government is maintaining a secret database of people who have protested the administration’s immigration policies. We requested these records from the Department of Homeland Security, but it failed to respond, so we’re suing.

Frederick Douglass’ warning still holds. Free speech is never static and survives only when it's defended.

Catch the latest in this week’s FIREwire.⬇️ expression.fire.org/p/firewire-may…

This week in free speech: 👉 ABC accuses FCC of chilling speech over scrutiny of “The View” 👉 Judge orders Texas State University to keep paying Professor Idris Robinson amid lawsuit 👉 Bipartisan congressional hearing reaches consensus on free speech in higher education