Sean Astin, amid a key moment for freedom of speech in the United States, didn’t mince words when talking about the importance of the First Amendment during a recent speech.
“I love my country. I love my freedom of speech. I love my freedom to assemble,” the SAG-AFTRA president said. “Rights that every one of our organizations counts on for our survival; rights paid with blood. If we don’t defend those rights together now, we will lose them.”
Astin delivered the speech at the Constitutional Convention of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), giving the keynote address (themed “Unions Change Lives”) to a crowd of 1,000 labor union leaders. This comes exactly one week after SAG-AFTRA voted to ratify a new bargaining agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers with 91.42% of votes in favor.
The “Lord of the Rings” and “Goonies” star was elected to the AFL-CIO Executive Council during the convention. On Sunday, delegates elected Astin Vice President alongside President Liz Shuler and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond. This is Astin’s first time as a convention delegate — and during his first year as SAG-AFTRA president.
“The AFL-CIO for me is a towering beacon of labor power; worker muscle. I’ve marveled at its righteousness and deep influence in America,” Astin said at the AFL-CIO. “I pray that our idealism and moxie only grows over time. And I can’t wait for us to find ways of supporting each other as we represent our members.”
Astin’s words about the First Amendment seem pointed under Donald Trump’s second presidential term, with reporters repeatedly being deemed “crooked” by the current administration. This speech also comes amid turmoil at the Bari Weiss-run “60 Minutes,” which has recently removed key contributors, like Scott Pelley, who have clashed with her new policies.
“Our members deserve the truth, the whole truth and the objective truth that comes from trained professional reporting,” Astin said. “They deserve the best information available about issues that affect them, to make the best-informed decisions for themselves and our labor movement.”
Astin closed out his speech by reciting a passage from “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” spoken by his character Samwise Gamgee.
“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo,” he concluded. “And it’s worth fighting for.”
