Opening Strike
Definition
The Opening Strike is the first intentional retaliatory act taken by a person or institution in power against an individual who has exercised a constitutional right, most often speech. It is typically small, deniable, and framed as an exception, necessity, or administrative action — but its purpose is to test whether retaliation can occur without consequence.
Why This Term Matters
The Opening Strike is the moment power quietly decides it can wound someone for speaking, and that the target was never meant to carry the burden of defending constitutional norms in the first place, nor alone.
