LearnAboutGuns.com

Google often claims to “do no evil” and to support a censorship free internet.  Unfortunately, those principles don’t extend to polite and rational advocacy of constitutional rights.  I recently ran a Google AdWords advertising campaign, only to have my ads pulled by Google:

I purchased a new web hosting account for LearnAboutGuns.com, and received a $25 Google AdWords coupon.  I used this coupon, along with some additional money, and opened a Google AdWords advertising account.  I ran then the following advertisement:

Title: Gun Control Facts
Text: Before you support gun control, take a minute to learn the facts

After the ad ran for a few days, Google decided to remove it, citing their no “firearms and ammunition” policy:

Note that this ad did not promote any gun or ammunition.  Nor did it advocate violence, even in self defense.  Instead, the ad only offered information gun control, and linked to a page where I discussed the ineffectiveness of gun control laws.

What is sad here is that Google has taken it upon themselves to censor free speech about a political issue (gun rights).  Google does not prevent the anti-gun-rights lobby from advertising.  They do not prevent adult websites from advertising.  But they did choose to prevent me from peacefully advocating for the Second Amendment of the United States constitution.