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Chances are, you clicked on a link to this article from our Facebook page. We have nearly 2 million followers on our page, and it’s a key channel of communication between us and you. We pick whatever we want to post on our page, but Facebook has the power to decide whether or not you see it.

Facebook uses complicated algorithms to decide which content shows up in your newsfeed. The company also uses complicated algorithms and specific data about you to decide what ads to show you. And it also has tens of thousands of human “content moderators” who are constantly reviewing posts and deciding whether or not it violates Facebook’s Community Standards.

According to Facebook, our limited edition t-shirt that says “I know my rights” on the front and “2A” on the sleeve violates their commerce standards. (We had to use the image without the “2a” on the sleeve)

Facebook states: we…prohibit the purchase, sale, gifting, exchange, and transfer of firearms, including firearm parts or ammunition, between private individuals on Facebook…Firearm stores and online retailers may promote items available for sale off of our services as long as those retailers comply with all applicable laws and regulations. We allow discussions about sales of firearms and firearm parts in stores or by online retailers and advocating for changes to firearm regulation.

Ah… discussions “advocating for changes to firearm regulation.”

In their commerce section, Facebook says listings may not promote the buying, selling, or use of weapons, ammunition, and explosives.

This little graphic shows what is allowable though: “Promoting safety training or licenses for legal weapons.”

Not our t-shirt though.

Facebook got to be a bazillion-dollar company because of advertising dollars.

But they won’t take ours. Facebook won’t allow us to advertise this shirt, promoting the Second Amendment. It’s verboten.

But Facebook is a private company. They can do what they want, right?

In the past, we would also follow that up with something trite like “hey, it’s a free country.” But to be honest, every day we’re not so sure that’s still true.

In the early days of the interwebs, it was a pretty wide-open space. Which was one of the things so appealing to entrepreneurial businesses like Nine Line.

Times are changing though. Free speech isn’t really so free anymore. In fact, we can’t even buy it from Facebook.

But you’re still free to buy a t-shirt promoting your Second Amendment right from us.

At least for now…