It's often said that the First Amendment exists to protect unpopular speech. Benign comments about the weather or statements in support of things everyone already likes aren't likely to be the subject of government censorship.

In the case of First Amendment protections for government workers' off-the-job speech, this dynamic is reversed.

Public employees have robust protections against being fired for such speech, unless it proves exceptionally unpopular.

This feature of First Amendment jurisprudence, and the bad incentives it creates for cancel culture campaigns, is on full display following the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk last week.

In the wake of the conservative influencer's murder, a lot of people said unkind, uncharitable, and even obscene things about the man, includi

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