The Spirit of the Whiskey Rebellion Lives On—In Defense of the First Amendment

The First Amendment is only 45 words long. But those 45 words contain the essence of American liberty: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government. These aren’t just lofty ideals—they’re working tools for a functioning democracy. And right now, they’re under threat.

Across generations, Americans have fought to expand and defend these rights. And Western Pennsylvania has been part of that fight from the very beginning. In the 1790s, farmers and distillers in our region—regular citizens—rose up in protest against a federal whiskey tax that threatened their livelihoods. The Whiskey Rebellion wasn’t just about alcohol. It was about taxation without local representation, government overreach, and the basic right to dissent. It was the First Amendment in action, even before its full meaning had taken hold.

That spirit still matters. Because today, we’re seeing a slow erosion of those same freedoms.

The current federal administration has taken steps—sometimes quiet, sometimes loud—that strike at the heart of First Amendment protections. Whether it's punishing dissent, threatening the press, pressuring schools and libraries, or criminalizing protest under the guise of “order,” these actions reflect a deeper discomfort with the open, challenging nature of democracy.

We’ve watched public officials target journalists and media outlets for doing their jobs. We've seen efforts to intimidate educators and dictate what history and identity can be taught in classrooms. We’ve witnessed citizens and activists—often young, often vulnerable—treated not as constituents, but as threats.

The First Amendment does not guarantee anyone comfort. It guarantees freedom. And that includes the freedom to be challenged, the freedom to be wrong, the freedom to speak even when it makes those in power uncomfortable.

The same Western Pennsylvania that once stood up to a federal whiskey tax must now stand up to something even more dangerous: the normalization of authoritarian tendencies under a democratic façade. And just as before, it starts with ordinary people refusing to be silent.

We defend the First Amendment by using it. That means speaking out when others are silenced. Supporting a free and independent press. Showing up to vote, to protest, to participate. And yes, teaching our kids that democracy isn’t quiet or clean—it’s messy, loud, and worth it.

I believe in a Pennsylvania where people are free to worship as they choose, to read broadly, to question their leaders, and to be heard. That’s not a radical position—it’s a constitutional one. But if we take it for granted, or allow fear and political convenience to chip away at it, we may not get it back.

Western Pennsylvania was forged in a fight over representation, freedom, and the role of government. That legacy belongs to us—and it’s ours to live up to.