Stand up for free speech.
Reject bigotry.
Reject cancel culture.

Make Your Voice Heard

Our freedom of speech is under attack. Join our community of supporters, and commit to protect free speech and reject cancel culture.

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The views expressed in this letter are the personal views of the signatories and do not necessarily represent the policies or positions of any other person or entity. Titles and names of organizations are included for identification purposes only.

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I/We pledge to defend the right of all Americans to say what they think and to protest peacefully. I/We believe free speech is a fundamental right of all Americans. I/We believe that platforms and services should apply their rules consistently, irrespective of the speaker’s viewpoint or beliefs. And I/We believe our elected officials should use their office to protect free speech.

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“Now more than ever, we need to uphold the First Amendment. It’s unique to us as Americans. It’s been fought for and defended all through our history for free expression without censorship from the government. It’s foundational to our personal rights and liberties.”

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05)
Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Committee

About the Commitment

Freedom of speech is our first right in the Bill of Rights. Why? Because you can’t have our other rights without it. And because in life without the give and take of different viewpoints you can’t course correct, improve, approach truth, or call out and stop evil. The ability of all Americans to speak, protest, and express their opinions publicly is central to our political process and to a free society remaining free.

Today, freedom of speech is under attack. Universities, mainstream media, tech companies, and megacorporations engage in the bigotry of viewpoint discrimination, suppressing opinions they don’t approve of, and punishing anyone who questions prevailing dogmas.  

They engage in this harmful bigotry without accountability. 

These efforts to stifle debate and silence dissenters are part of cancel culture, a dangerous movement which imposes severe social and financial sanctions on those who express opinions they dislike. 

But freedom of speech isn’t just the freedom to agree with the majority. Nor is it simply the freedom to discuss uncontroversial topics. Freedom of speech explicitly affirms the freedom to express views that are unpopular, controversial, and even offensive. That is why the Constitution prohibits the government from censoring even these types of expression.

What is happening right now isn’t a matter of suppressing hate speech. It’s a matter of suppressing viewpoints that some people hate.

The result is that people today are afraid to speak out. They are afraid that if they express their opinions they will be deplatformed, doxxed, canceled, harassed, or even fired from their jobs and financially strangled. 

This is not how America is supposed to function. This is not the foundation of a healthy society in which people with different ideas and beliefs debate their positions and work together in search of truth and common ground. This is harmful and self-limiting. Without tolerance of a diversity of viewpoints we will never learn, and never be better, only worse.

As Americans, we must fight for the freedom to express our thoughts and opinions without fear. It’s time to reject the bigotry of cancel culture. Stand up to protect this core American value: free speech.

Wall of Shame

College Campuses/Conservative Speakers

Conservative speakers a are rare on college campuses and that trend continues as universities highlight a plethora of individuals from the far-left while avoiding anyone from the right. (Washington Times)

Major League Baseball / Georgia

MLB announced that it will relocated the 2021 All-Star Game and MLB Draft, originally scheduled to take place in Atlanta, to a to-be-determined location following the passage of the Georgia voting law. (MLB)

New York Times / Adam Rubenstein

NY Times assistant, Adam Rubenstein, who edited Sen. Cotton’s ‘Send in the Troops’ Column resigns six months after he faced backlash from the staff. (The Daily Beast)

University of Southern California / Greg Patton

USC placed Prof. Greg Patton on leave after explaining a word on Mardarin language that is pronounced similarly to an offensive word in English during his lecture. (Inside Higher Ed)

Houston Rockets / Daryl Morey

Authorities from the People’s Republic of China pressured Daryl Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, to apologize for expressing support on Twitter for protests in Hong Kong. (NPR)

Blizzard Entertainment / American University Esports Players

Blizzard Entertainment temporarily banned an American University esports team for displaying a sign critical of the company and supporting protests in Hong Kong. (CNN)

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