Substack founders, Chris Best, Hamish McKenzie, and Jairaj Sethi, speaking out in defense of Don Lemon and the other independent journalists may have more to do with them protecting a rising star on Substack than with being “faithful stewards of the First Amendment.”

As you can see below, Don Lemon is the #1 Rising in U.S. Politics on Substack. Which is pretty impressive, by the way.

But when we consider being “faithful stewards of the First Amendment,” it’s important to point out that it ALSO includes “the free exercise of religion.” The First Amendment is sometimes referred to as the “Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition.”

Journalists have every right to cover a story and speak freely about what is happening. I’m thankful we have this freedom in our country.

However, what they don’t have the freedom to do is infringe on the free speech of others, which includes those who are gathered to practice “the free exercise of religion.”

The text of the FACE Act explicitly states this in Section 3 under Prohibited Activities:

"(2) by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship

Perhaps the courts will find that Lemon and other journalists did not violate the rights of those practicing their religious freedom.

But it should be considered by the courts, because at the very least, it appears as if the First Amendment was violated.