What happened to an America where you could freely speak your mind?

Agree with me or not — and isn’t that the point of a newspaper column? — I owe readers a clear statement of what I will do and not do:I will not apologize for writing about Soros.I will not bow to those who’ve wrongly defamed me.I will continue writing my column.The left doesn’t like my politics. I get that. I don’t like theirs much, either. 

John Kass, Chicago Tribune  "The angry left-handed broom of America’s cultural revolution uses fear to sweep through the our civic, corporate and personal life.
"It brings with it attempted intimidation, shame and the usual demands for ceremonies of public groveling.
"It is happening in newsrooms in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles. And now it’s coming for me, in an attempt to shame me into silence.
"Here’s what happened:
"Last week, with violence spiking around the country, I wrote a column on the growing sense of lawlessness in America’s urban areas.
"In response, the Tribune newspaper union, the Chicago Tribune Guild, which I have repeatedly and politely declined to join, wrote an open letter to management defaming me, by falsely accusing me of religious bigotry and fomenting conspiracy theories.
"Newspaper management has decided not to engage publicly with the union. So I will.
"For right now, let’s deal with facts. My July 22 column was titled “Something grows in the big cities run by Democrats: An overwhelming sense of lawlessness.”
"It explored the connections between soft-on-crime prosecutors and increases in violence along with the political donations of left-wing billionaire George Soros, who in several states has funded liberal candidates for prosecutor, including Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. 

"Soros’ influence on these races is undeniable and has been widely reported. But in that column, I did not mention Soros’ ethnicity or religion.
"You’d think that before wildly accusing someone of fomenting bigoted conspiracy theories, journalists on the union’s executive board would at least take the time to Google the words “Soros,” “funding” and “local prosecutors.”
"As recently as February, the Sun Times pointed out roughly $2 million in Soros money flowing to Foxx in her primary election effort against more law-and-order candidates.
"In August 2016, Politico outlined Soros’ money supporting local DA races and included the view from opponents and skeptics that if successful, these candidates would make communities “less safe.' ” . . .