Episode 79 : Blood, Politics, and the Battle for Free Speech

In this week’s episode, we sit down to reflect on some of the serious events that have taken place over the past two months. We catch up after Richie’s time away in Edinburgh and share our thoughts on the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, as well as the brutal murder of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was tragically stabbed on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina. Our discussion also turns to gun laws in the United States and who we believe should — and shouldn’t — have access to firearms.We touch on Jimmy Kimmel’s recent cancellation over his expressed opinions, raising wider questions about freedom of speech in the U.S. and how similar restrictions have appeared in the U.K. over online comments. We also share our thoughts on the Prime Minister, while exploring what free speech should mean in practice. To help listeners better understand the current climate, we compare left- and right-wing movements in Ireland and outline the differences between the two.This is an episode we felt needed to be recorded — a chance to express our views at a time when the world feels more unsettled than we’ve ever seen it. We hope you enjoy listening, and we’d love to hear your own thoughts on these issues.