You don't understand. It's not whether the effect of the laws is new or old, merely symbolic or not. It is in fact precisely because it's symbolic, and potently so, that you should be concerned. 1/

The state penalizing people for speech and opinions, unless there is an *extremely* strong consensus that the speech is out of bounds, strikes at the core of what Americans understand to be our rights. 2/

Underestimating that sentiment created an opening for plutocrats to leverage wokeness into MAGA. It's not very smart at this point to continue to underestimate it. No new laws or even new enforcement is necessary. The more salient this stuff is, the greater the risk of backlash. /fin