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Future students at New College of Florida will have the privilege of casting their eyes upon a statue of supposed free-speech hero Charlie Kirk.  The college made the announcement Tuesday on X with a rendering that looks little like Kirk and more like Robert F. Kennedy Sr. xToday, we announced that we will commission a statue of Charlie Kirk to honor his legacy and incredible work after his tragic assassination last week. The statue, privately funded by community leaders, will stand on campus as a commitment by New College to defend and fight for… pic.twitter.com/uCPAlACq7S— New College of Florida (@NewCollegeofFL) September 16, 2025 Does Kirk have a particular connection to Florida or New College? Not really! Have the students at New College been crying out for a Kirk statue? Doesn’t seem like it! But the school has been the crown jewel in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attempts to wreck one of the nation’s most well-respected public university systems. Since early 2023, DeSantis has been turning the place into ChristopherRufoVille, so in many ways, there was always going to be a Kirk statue. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs legislation in May 2023 to ban state funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at Florida’s public universities, at New College of Florida. DeSantis’ takeover of the school left it in a shambles. After DeSantis handed the keys to far-right activist Chris Rufo and his ilk, nearly 40% of the faculty resigned. The move also destroyed shared governance, the requirement that faculty play a role in the management of the university. And the college eliminated its gender studies program and then threw hundreds of books into the dumpster. DeSantis primed the pump here for the post-Kirk world, where the right will destroy free speech in the name of free speech. But surely all this new rigor has improved education, right? Nope. After the DeSantis takeover, its national ranking has fallen by double digits for two years in a row. Gotta break some education eggs to make free-speech omelets, apparently.  According to the school, the Kirk statue will be “privately funded by community leaders,” which is code for “We are building this regardless of support from the university community and are in no way asking whether they would like a giant statute of Bobby Kenn—er, Charlie Kirk on their campus.”  It’s a ridiculous move, if less ridiculous than the proposal that Kirk get a statue in the U.S. Capitol. With all this, New College is the perfect place to honor Kirk: a school that was once renowned for its commitment to free and open expression and exploration, but that has since been transformed into a laughingstock and a puppet of the conservative state. 

Each year during Hispanic Heritage Month, huge celebrations can be expected across the U.S. to showcase the diversity and culture of Hispanic people. This year, the Trump administration’s immigration crackdowns, a federally led English-only initiative and an anti-diversity, equity and inclusion push have changed the national climate in which these celebrations occur. Organizers across the country, from Massachusetts and North Carolina to California and Washington state, have postponed or canceled heritage month festivals altogether. Celebrated each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, the month is a chance for many in the U.S. to learn about and celebrate the contributions of Hispanic cultures, the country’s fastest-growing racial or ethnic minority, according to the U.S. Census. The group includes people whose ancestors come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. More than 68 million people identify as ethnically Hispanic in the U.S., according to the latest census estimates. How did Hispanic Heritage Month start? Before there was National Hispanic Heritage Month, there was Hispanic Heritage Week, which was created through legislation sponsored by Mexican American U.S. Rep Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles and signed into law in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The weeklong commemoration was expanded to a month two decades later, with legislation signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. Folklorico dancers perform at halftime of a football game as the NFL celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 14 in Arlington, Texas. “It was clustered around big celebrations for the community,” Alberto Lammers, director of communications at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute said. “It became a chance for people to know Hispanic cultures, for Latinos to get to know a community better and for the American public to understand a little better the long history of Latinos in the U.S.” Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point to coincide with the anniversary of “El Grito de Dolores,” or the “Cry of Dolores,” which was issued in 1810 from a town in Mexico that launched the country’s war for independence from Spain. The Central American nations of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica celebrate their independence on Sept. 15 and Mexico marks its national day on Sept. 16, the day after the cry for independence. Also during National Hispanic Heritage Month, the South American nation of Chile observes its independence day on Sept. 18. The White House so far has not mentioned any planned events. Last year, President Joe Biden hosted a reception and issued a proclamation for the occasion. Who is Hispanic? Hispanic was a term coined by the federal government for people descended from Spanish-speaking cultures. But for some, the label has a connotation of political conservatism and emphasizes a connection to Spain. It sometimes gets mistakenly interchanged with “Latino” or “Latinx.” For some, Latino reflects their ties to Latin America. So some celebrations are referred to as Latinx or Latin Heritage Month. Latin Americans are not a monolith. There are several other identifiers for Latin Americans, depending largely on personal preference. Mexican Americans who grew up during the 1960s Civil Rights era may identify as Chicano. Other may go by their family’s nation of origin such as Colombian American or Salvadoran American. Each culture has unique differences when it comes to music, food, art and other cultural touchstones. Immigration fears lead to celebration cancellations September typically has no shortage of festivities. Events often include traditional Latin foods and entertainment like mariachi bands, folklórico and salsa dance lessons. The intent is to showcase the culture of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and other Latin countries. Masked ICE agents carrying out President Donald Trump’s policies via workplace raids at farms, manufacturing plants and elsewhere — which has included detaining legal residents — led some to fear large gatherings would become additional targets for raids. Another obstacle heritage celebrations face is the perception that they’d violate bans on DEI programming — something Trump has discouraged across federal agencies. Some companies and universities have followed suit. Early in September, organizers of a Mexican Independence festival in Chicago announced they would postpone celebrations due to Trump’s promises of an immigration crackdown in the city. Related | ICE raids take toll on Latino mental health: ‘It’s been nonstop’ “It was a painful decision, but holding El Grito Chicago at this time puts the safety of our community at stake — and that’s a risk we are unwilling to take,” said the organizers of the festival. A new date has not yet been announced. Though Mexican Independence Day falls on Sept. 16, celebrations in Chicago typically span more than a week and draw hundreds of thousands of participants for lively parades, festivals, street parties and car caravans. “The fact that the federal government is sending troops as we start these celebrations is an insult,” Illinois state Sen. Karina Villa, a Democrat, said at a news conference. “It is a fear tactic. It’s unforgivable.” Similarly, Sacramento’s annual Mexican Independence Day festival was canceled with organizers citing the political climate and safety concerns. Other events that have been canceled include the Hispanic Heritage Festival of the Carolinas, Hispanic Heritage Fest in Kenner, Louisiana and FIESTA Indianapolis. Protests may take the place of canceled festivals Ivan Sandoval-Cervantes, an anthropology professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said when celebrations are canceled from the top down it affects how we see them throughout the country. Used to seeing celebrations in Las Vegas advertised, he has seen very little leading up to this year’s heritage month. “If it’s not being celebrated by a specific state that doesn’t mean they won’t be celebrated but they might go into the private sphere,” Sandoval-Cervantes said. “Where it’s safer to embrace the symbols or even speak Spanish.” Demonstrators hold signs during a rally near the Pinellas County Jail in Clearwater, Florida, on June 14. In Mexico, the government launched a new appeal to raise awareness among Mexican migrants to take every possible precaution during the holidays because any incident, such as while driving, could lead to a deportation. “Rather than not celebrating, be cautious” and gather at the consulates, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday. On Thursday, Mexico’s foreign affairs secretary said there would be more consular staff on duty to respond to any emergency. Mexican nationals stopped by U.S. authorities are advised to not flee, remain silent and not sign any documents. Chicago Latino leaders called on residents to remain peaceful during expected protests at Mexican Independence Day celebrations, arguing that any unrest could be used as justification for sending federal troops to the city. “We will not allow others to use our fear or our anger against us,” said Berto Aguayo, of the Chicago Latino Caucus Association. “We will not take the bait. We will know our rights. We will protect each other and peacefully protest.”

To support this work and receive my weekly newsletter with background on each cartoon, please consider joining the Sorensen Subscription Service! Also on Patreon. Follow me on Bluesky or Mastodon Related | Republicans aren’t even pretending to give a sh-t about free speech now

Following months of mainstream media capitulation toward President Donald Trump and his administration, Trump filed a $15 billion lawsuit on Monday night against The New York Times. In his suit, which absurdly cites his Electoral College victory and his status as a bestselling “author,” Trump accuses the Times of “smears” by accurately reporting on his statements and actions. “The Times is a full throated mouthpiece of the Democrat Party,” Trump falsely alleges. The statement ignores decades of the Times furthering right-wing propaganda and elevating attacks on the Democratic Party and the left. “Trumptanic” by Mike Luckovich In a statement the Times said Trump’s suit “has no merit” and “is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting.” Trump’s suit against the Times shows that even when the paper bends over backward for him, he will still be resentful of accurate reporting. Since he was sworn in for a second term, there have been several instances of obsequious and downright false reporting from the Times in Trump’s favor. The paper referred to the current era as “the age of Trump” in June, a month after taking his claim—which went against his entire history as a political figure—that he would pull back support for tax increases on the wealthy as an honest statement. In perhaps the most dishonest moment for the “paper of record” in Trump’s second term, the Times in February portrayed a Black voter supporting Trump as merely an “artificial intelligence start-up worker,” without informing readers that the supporter also happens to be the communications director for the Houston Young Republicans. To be sure, the Times has reported accurately on numerous Trump scandals, corruption, and bigotry, but the paper’s coverage—led by star reporter Maggie Haberman—has been friendly to Trump and often regurgitated his falsehoods without calling him out. In her reporting on Trump, Haberman has shied away from noting to readers when he has clearly lied, such as this 2018 report that instead said Trump “repeatedly refused to accept a number of seemingly agreed-upon facts.” In a 2020 story, instead of directly addressing Trump’s racism, Haberman’s reporting mentioned that he was merely “stoking white fear and resentment.” Trump’s suit is just the latest in a barrage of legal action against media outlets. He sued the Des Moines Register for conducting polls, he sued Facebook parent Meta for banning his account after he incited violence, and he sued Fox owner Rupert Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal for reporting on his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, among others. Many of these outlets have settled with Trump, even after legal experts have made clear the suits lack merit and have been vehicles for extortion and bribery-style payments. CBS News’ parent Paramount is under investigation by congressional Democrats after the Trump administration approved a merger soon after Paramount decided to settle his suit. ABC News parent Disney also cut a check to Trump over a specious claim. Related | Apparently, the Washington Post can’t stomach calling out Kirk’s racism Simultaneously, outlets like the Washington Post under Trump backer Jeff Bezos have pivoted pro-Trump. The paper recently fired an opinion columnist who criticized Charlie Kirk’s racist views after he was murdered.  The mainstream media apparently believed that Trump would back off after they curried favor with him and paid him off. Trump clearly didn’t agree to that deal and he is still targeting them for telling the truth.

www.patreon.com/keefknight Keef’s Substack Related | The right wants to ruin your life if you don’t mourn Charlie Kirk