Editor’s Note: This is the debut edition of Civil Discourse, a new column where Isabella Pieretti and Conor Richards share their perspectives on a political story or event covered by The Heights. This first column is a response to “BC History Professor Denounces Musk’s Actions as “a Coup” to Millions of Social Media Followers.”

BC historian Heather Cox Richardson called Elon Musk’s alleged access to federal data a “coup,” and “the largest data breach in human history,” warning of a constitutional crisis. In a livestream to 2.5 million followers, she criticized Musk’s influence over government operations and urged swift action to protect democracy.