| Dear Fellow American,
She was shouted down. Had insults and obscenities hurled at her. Was physically intimidated in the classroom. It was bullying and a mob mentality at work in a law school classroom.
Yet, my friend and colleague Kristen Waggoner stood strong in the face of a student mob at Yale Law School. As General Counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom, she was a member of a panel of speakers invited to discuss how attorneys across the ideological spectrum can come together and support free speech.
Shouted down and panelists escorted by police in order to exit a free speech event. This is absurd! This is wrong. |
| And it begs the question: What will happen to our cherished freedoms if students like these become our leaders?
Unfortunately, in our current culture, we are no longer shocked when Kristen and others representing true freedom for everyone are heckled and threatened. But, as she said, "It was alarming to witness law students whipped into a frenzy, preferring to chant, pound the walls, and intimidate others rather than engage in civil dialogue."
What happened at Yale—and what has happened to other Christian and conservative speakers across the country—is disturbing.
This event shows that legal protections for free and unfettered speech are little comfort if we don't value free speech … if we heckle, shout down, and punish anyone who has ideas we don't like.
Kristen's courage and calm in the face of the mob is exactly what our country needs more of. She's already gone on record saying that she'd be happy to return.
So, what must we do? Like Kristen, stand up. Speak up. Show up. All it takes is a little courage to show the mob that you will not bow to their demands.
The screaming, wall-pounding, foot-stomping mob at Yale represents the future of the legal profession—if we do nothing about it. That's exactly why we need to vigorously protect the freedom of speech and raise up future, principled leaders through the Blackstone Legal Fellowship who will do the same.
We must restore a culture of free speech and civil discourse at Yale and other law schools, or the future of the legal profession will remain in dire straits. Free speech and freedom of thought are the cornerstones of all free societies. Our other freedoms go as they do.
Please take this opportunity to sign your name to this statement and join with friends of freedom nationwide to stand for Free Speech.
What kind of America the next generation inherits depends on the small, courageous choices of people like Kristen.
And people like you.
Sincerely, |
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