Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Speaker Conner Murnane talking to the audience on Oct. 7 Photo Contributed by Katelyn Baumann
Hannah Hutton
On Oct. 7, Jackets Vote, a program out of the Link Center, and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) invited Conner Murnane, a speaker from FIRE. The event was open to students, faculty, and the public.
FIRE’s mission is to defend and sustain the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought as they feel it is the most essential qualities of liberty.
Since its founding more than two decades ago, FIRE has become the nation’s leading defender of fundamental rights on college campuses through their unique mix of programming, including student and faculty outreach, public education campaigns, individual case advocacy, and policy reform efforts.
Conner Murnane Speaking about Freedom of Speech on Oct. 7 Photo Contributed by Katelyn Baumann
“FIRE’s mission is not just about defending legal rights, it’s about reigniting that cultural fire… that says that ideas matter, speech matters. That we’re better off hearing even what we hate than silencing what we fear… it belongs to all of us.” said Murnane.
During his speech he said that the way people define “freedom of speech” today is wrong. It is not about being able to shout or use violence against someone you might disagree with. It is about being able to “counter words with words.” Freedom of speech is about critical thinking, not brash reactions. He thought back to historical figures such as Martin Luther King Jr, and Elijah Lovejoy, among others.
For more information on FIRE and the impact they are making go to https://www.thefire.org/. For more information on Jackets Vote, keep an eye on the Campus Calendar for future events.
