FIGHTING BACK – THE LATEST BLOW STRUCK BY THE GOOD GUYS AGAINST THE FORCES OF EVIL AND ANTI-AMERICANISM.  FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL VIA 6PARK.NEWS/VIRGINIA: 

Readers of these pages are aware that freedom of expression, academic freedom, and diversity of viewpoints are in big trouble at American universities. But many of those concerned about the state of campuses are almost resigned to the idea that the forces of illiberal intolerance have won out. The fight is far from over. On October 18, five groups of alumni will announce the creation of an organization to advocate for open inquiry: the Alumni Free Speech Alliance.

AFSA’s founders are groups of graduates from Cornell University, Davidson College, Princeton University (our alma mater), University of Virginia, and Washington and Lee University. Our partner organizations are the Cornell Free Speech Alliance, Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse, Princetonians for Free Speech, the Jefferson Council (comprised of UVA alumni), and Generals Redoubt (W&L alumni).

AFSA membership groups are non-partisan and will protect the rights of teachers and students from across the ideological spectrum. The groups will share ideas and information, as well as promote and mentor similar groups of alumni from other schools. Our goal is to partner with dozens of groups of alumni not yet formed throughout the country.

Why alumni? Because, with rare exceptions, everyone else may feel too exposed to attack to oppose campus culture. Our experience is that the few student groups for free speech do not have many members (Princeton has around 20). Defenders of free speech among teachers are vastly outnumbered, even as many center-left teachers are beginning to realize that the mob can also brutally cancel them. The few students and teachers who speak often feel isolated and exposed.

University trustees, presidents, and other administrators are also often mired in the toxic environment on campus, which responds to heresy with attacks. Most have been bullied or genuinely believe in an awakened orthodoxy that sees free speech as an inconvenient interruption.

That leaves students as the only college stakeholders with the numbers and clout to lead the defense of free speech, academic freedom, and diversity of viewpoints in campus settings. Freedom of expression and academic freedom are essential to the advancement of knowledge and the success of our colleges and universities. Will all teaching and research in these schools soon be subject to a mandatory orthodoxy? Will parents still pay to send their children to places where the essential elements of learning are suppressed? These institutions constantly seek the participation and contributions of graduates. Graduates have the ability and the duty to demand that their schools uphold the reasons for which they were created. But to be effective, alumni must organize.

In a recent survey by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, more than 80% of students reported that they self-censored their views at least a few times, and 21% said they frequently self-censor themselves. The survey, of more than 37,000 college students across 159 campuses, shows growing support among students for various forms of censorship, especially conservative speakers, with 66% of students saying that yelling at speakers on campus may be justified. Other surveys report similar results.

Tolerance for freedom of expression among teachers appears to be marginally higher, but is on the decline; and left-leaning ideological litmus tests in teacher hiring have become common, while moderate and conservative teachers have become scarcer.

Hundreds of articles in numerous publications have reported harassment, suspension and even dismissal of teachers and students for expressing opinions, many quite reasonable, that offend awakened activists. Meanwhile, university presidents often do nothing, even when their schools’ free speech rules seem to require action.

Alumni, and that may include you, must act. Our five allied alumni groups are ready to help.

COMMON:   Good luck.  It's a great idea, if the founders brace themselves for what's probably coming – the big leftist smear that will declare that all members of this new group are racists.  That's the way the game is played.

But I do see this as a significant step forward in saving our educational system from the fascists of the left, who have taken over many schools and departments.  What's so sad is that free speech is not a priority for the news media, unless it's their speech, so the new group can probably expect little support from journalists. 

Some fix we're in.

October 17, 2021