• [ network ]
  • goatmatrix.net
  • img.gvid.tv
  • speedy.gvid.tv
  • apps.gvid.tv
  • gvid.tv
HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

The Guardians of Free Speech

Views:1077
@ReasonVids

Because of the social media circus surrounding the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard defamation trial, it was easy to overlook one of the principal—yet least likely—actors in the courtroom drama: the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which ghostwrote and placed the 2018 Washington Post op-ed by Heard about surviving domestic abuse that was the basis of the trial.

https://reason.com/video/2022/06/23/as-the-aclu-recedes-from-its-core-mission-fire-expands-to-fill-the-void/
-------------------

It's only the latest example of how the group has in recent years strayed from its original mission of defending speech, no matter how vile. Awash with money after former President Donald Trump was elected, the ACLU transformed into an organization that championed progressive causes, undermining the principled neutrality that helped make it a powerful advocate for the rights of clients ranging from Nazis to socialists.

It questioned the due process rights of college students accused of sexual assault and harassment under Title IX rules. It ran partisan ads against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and for Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, a move that current Executive Director Anthony Romero told The New York Times was a mistake. The ACLU also called for the federal government to forgive $50,000 per borrower in student loans.

As the ACLU recedes from its mission, enter another free speech organization, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, or FIRE. Founded in 1999 to combat speech codes on college campuses, FIRE is expanding to go well beyond the university and changing its name to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. The group has raised $29 million toward a three-year "litigation, opinion research and public education campaign aimed at boosting and solidifying support for free-speech values."

"I think there have been better moments for freedom of speech when it comes to the culture," says FIRE's president, Greg Lukianoff. "When it comes to the law, the law is about as good as it's ever been. But when it comes to the culture, our argument is that it's gotten a lot worse and that we don't have to accept it."

Lukianoff tells Reason that FIRE's new initiatives have been in the works for years, but gained urgency during the COVID lockdowns. "Pretty much from day one, people have been asking us to take our advocacy off campus to an extent nationally," he says. "But 2020 was such a scarily bad year for freedom of speech on campus and off, we decided to accelerate that process." Despite 80 percent of campuses being closed and doing instruction remotely, Lukianoff says that FIRE received 50 percent more requests for help from college students and faculty. He also points to The New York Times' editorial page editor, James Bennet, getting squeezed out after running an article by Sen. Tom Cotton (R–Ark.) and high-profile journalists such as Bari Weiss, Andrew Sullivan, and Matt Yglesias "stepping away from their publications, saying that the environment was too intolerant."

FIRE is also expanding its efforts beyond legal advocacy and into promoting what Lukianoff calls "the culture of free speech." As Politico reports, it will spend $10 million "in planned national cable and billboard advertising featuring activists on both ends of the political spectrum extolling the virtues of free speech."

He says that people in their 40s and 50s grew up in a country where the culture of free speech was embedded in colloquial sayings and common attitudes. "Things like everyone's entitled to their opinion, which is something you heard all the time when we were kids. It's a free country, to each their own, statements of deep pluralism, like the idea that you should walk a mile in a man's shoes," he explains. "All of these things are great principles for taking advantage of pluralism, but they've largely sort of fallen out of usage due to a growing skepticism about freedom of speech, particularly on campus, that's been about 40 years in the making."

Lukianoff has nothing negative to say about the ACLU (in fact, he used to work there) and stresses that FIRE has worked with the organization since "day one" and continues to do so. But unlike the ACLU, FIRE isn't at risk of turning into a progressive advocacy organization, partly because its staff is truly bipartisan.

That pluralistic pride extends to the groups funding FIRE, too. Lukianoff thinks that despite the rise of cancel culture, most Americans still understand the value of free speech, but they need to be encouraged to stand up for it. FIRE's polling, he says, reveals that "it's really a pretty small minority, particularly pronounced on Twitter, that is anti-free-speech philosophically and thinks that people should shut up and conform."

For that reason, he's upbeat that FIRE will succeed in helping to restore belief in the value and function of free speech.

Interview by Nick Gillespie. Edited by Regan Taylor.

libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
    Thumbnail for COVID Exposed the Truth About the CDC9:58
    COVID Exposed the Truth About the CDC
    ReasonVids
    1035 views
    Thumbnail for National School Choice Week 2020 Highlights1:04
    National School Choice Week 2020 Highlights
    IJvids
    891 views
    Thumbnail for Blacks are incompatible with Western Civilization (A Rhodesian explains.)32:54
    Blacks are incompatible with Western Civilization (A Rhodesian explains.)
    AOUisgay
    2341 views
    Thumbnail for Elon Musk Launches Coup | Trump Punches America in the Wallet | Crockett Hits Back1:33:15
    Elon Musk Launches Coup | Trump Punches America in the Wallet | Crockett Hits Back
    invidious
    136 views
    Thumbnail for J.D. Vance's Big Debut: LIVE at the Republican National Convention, Day 3 | Charlie Kirk1:00
    J.D. Vance's Big Debut: LIVE at the Republican National Convention, Day 3 | Charlie Kirk
    invidious
    273 views
    Thumbnail for Brian Doherty on The Forgotten History of the Antiwar Right7:37
    Brian Doherty on The Forgotten History of the Antiwar Right
    ReasonVids
    976 views
    Thumbnail for San Francisco in 19063:04
    San Francisco in 1906
    bestofvoatxyz
    513 views
    Thumbnail for Guy notices woman at ATM is withdrawing money for carjacker - Steps in.0:47
    Guy notices woman at ATM is withdrawing money for carjacker - Steps in.
    Gviduser
    270 views
    Thumbnail for Best Memes! | cardogjones0:31
    Best Memes! | cardogjones
    invidious
    350 views
    Thumbnail for Oblivion NPC Dialogue: The Oblivion Follower Glitch (Still not fixed Todd Howard!) | Brandon B1:52
    Oblivion NPC Dialogue: The Oblivion Follower Glitch (Still not fixed Todd Howard!) | Brandon B
    invidious
    351 views
    Thumbnail for 🔴MCF: WEDNESDAY DELIVERANCE SERVICE || PS. JULIET JJUUKO NAKAMATE || OMUKISA GWA KATONDA 07.05.2025 | Mutundwe Christian Fellowship2:01:20
    🔴MCF: WEDNESDAY DELIVERANCE SERVICE || PS. JULIET JJUUKO NAKAMATE || OMUKISA GWA KATONDA 07.05.2025 | Mutundwe Christian Fellowship
    invidious
    128 views
    Thumbnail for Noctua’s PSU Fan Grill | UFD Tech0:52
    Noctua’s PSU Fan Grill | UFD Tech
    invidious
    104 views
    Thumbnail for The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, Dua Lipa, Adele, Maroon 5, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran - Billboard Top 50 This Week | Pop Hits1:00
    The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, Dua Lipa, Adele, Maroon 5, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran - Billboard Top 50 This Week | Pop Hits
    invidious
    344 views
    Thumbnail for r/Memes | you WHAT?? | EmKay14:05
    r/Memes | you WHAT?? | EmKay
    invidious
    394 views
    Thumbnail for System of a Down - PIG (Demo) | T F3:10
    System of a Down - PIG (Demo) | T F
    invidious
    253 views
    Thumbnail for A reddit mod reviews the turner diaries1:00
    A reddit mod reviews the turner diaries
    bestofvoatxyz
    1261 views
    Thumbnail for I'm not a musician1:06
    I'm not a musician
    x0x7
    8162 views
    Thumbnail for Brilliantly Done - Dave Schools Murray! 🔥👏👏 #usa #israel  #palestine #politics #news #uk #canada | Breezy Politics0:59
    Brilliantly Done - Dave Schools Murray! 🔥👏👏 #usa #israel #palestine #politics #news #uk #canada | Breezy Politics
    invidious
    108 views
    Thumbnail for Ricketts v. Miami Shores:  Press Conference8:51
    Ricketts v. Miami Shores: Press Conference
    IJvids
    922 views
    Thumbnail for Halo Infinite - Capture the Flag - Bazaar (XBOX SERIES X) | Mystical Gaming4:06
    Halo Infinite - Capture the Flag - Bazaar (XBOX SERIES X) | Mystical Gaming
    invidious
    320 views
    Thumbnail for Motion Canvas is now Open Source! | aarthificial4:17
    Motion Canvas is now Open Source! | aarthificial
    tech.topic
    665 views
    Thumbnail for The difference between little girls and little boys0:13
    The difference between little girls and little boys
    bestofvoatxyz
    684 views
    Thumbnail for مفيش إرادة #shorts | Da7ee7 - الدحيح0:49
    مفيش إرادة #shorts | Da7ee7 - الدحيح
    invidious
    475 views
    Thumbnail for ‘Smart’ Special Performance Video #LE_SSERAFIM #르세라핌 #LE_SSERAFIM_EASY #LE_SSERAFIM_Smart #shorts | LE SSERAFIM0:58
    ‘Smart’ Special Performance Video #LE_SSERAFIM #르세라핌 #LE_SSERAFIM_EASY #LE_SSERAFIM_Smart #shorts | LE SSERAFIM
    invidious
    316 views
    Thumbnail for ITS A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO BE 10 MONTHS OLD❤️I LOVE YOU ನನ್ನಮ್ಮ ❤️ | Aditi Prabhudeva #Shorts | Aditi Prabhudeva0:12
    ITS A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO BE 10 MONTHS OLD❤️I LOVE YOU ನನ್ನಮ್ಮ ❤️ | Aditi Prabhudeva #Shorts | Aditi Prabhudeva
    invidious
    121 views

points

Permalink
Reply
libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
reason.com
,
reason.tv
,
reasontv
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle