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Dear
Friends,
Earlier this week,
protesters violated
Yale¡¯s free speech
policies in numerous
ways, from reports of
violence to blocking
traffic.?
The Woodward Report,
Yale¡¯s policy on free
expression celebrating
its 50th anniversary
this year, states that
¡°picketing is
permissible outside of
a building so long as
it is peaceful and
does not interfere
with entrance to or
exit from the building
or with pedestrian or
vehicular traffic
outside of a
building.¡± The report
continues: ¡°It is
important to
understand, however,
that picketing is more
than expression. It is
an expression joined
to action.
Accordingly, it is
entitled to no
protection when its
effect is coercive.¡±
There have been some
calls for Yale to
forgo disciplinary
action against those
arrested this week.
Heeding those calls
would be a mistake and
send the wrong message
at the wrong time. As
the Woodward Report
explains: ¡°... if
sanctions are to work
as a deterrent to
subsequent disruption,
they must be imposed
whenever disruption
occurs. They must be
imposed and not
suspended. They must
stick.¡±
To protect the free
speech of all, Yale
needs to be clear that
it knows when free
speech is used as
cover for criminal
activity and it needs
to enforce that
distinction. Those who
intentionally blur the
lines between free
speech and criminal
activity betray those
who have sacrificed
for free speech
worldwide.?
Make no mistake, if
the protesters had
just shared their
views and publicly
displayed hate for
America, it would be
protected free speech,
as abhorrent as their
comments would be. The
Buckley Institute
firmly supports free
speech, and that
includes offensive
speech.? Indeed, as
the Woodward Report
reminds us, Yale
students have ¡°the
right to think the
unthinkable, discuss
the unmentionable, and
challenge the
unchallengeable.¡± But
that right never
includes campus
disruption and
violence.?
Yale should never
reward clear
violations of its
policies. Disruption
is not free speech.
Violence is not free
speech. This should be
obvious and it¡¯s sad
that it needs to be
said.
The good news is that
some Yale students
have taken a different
approach, displaying a
competing vision of
who America¡¯s future
leaders can be. The
Buckley Institute
hosted an event
yesterday prompting
students to share what
they love about
America. Over 250
students participated.
Students wrote ¡°the
American dream,¡± ¡°the
honor and bravery of
our servicemen and
women,¡± ¡°the right to
peaceful protest,¡±
¡°opportunity for
everyone,¡± ¡°American
innovation,¡± ¡°freedom
of speech and
expression,¡± and
¡°housed my ancestors
fleeing the
Holocaust,¡± among many
other answers
indicating a student
body that deserves our
hope and support.
Sincerely,
Lauren Noble ¡¯11
Founder and Executive
Director?
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