FAIR’s Potential and the Need to Question Orthodoxy

I was delighted to read the article on Monica Harris ’88 and the work of the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR). I had not heard of this organization until now, and I applaud its attempts to balance the state of political discourse in this country. It struck me that this organization has in certain ways stepped into the void left by the recent politicization of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). There was once a time when the ACLU steadfastly held to that centrist, and resolutely American, position of protecting free speech and civil liberties for all, even when that speech and those liberties made people uncomfortable. Sadly, it seems that the ACLU lost its way in the tumult that followed the tragic death of George Floyd, succumbing to the siren songs of identity and economic injustice politics. It was not lost on me that FAIR’s board includes Nadine Strossen, former president of the ACLU. Doubters: That has to count for something.

My best wishes to FAIR and to all who peacefully question orthodoxy.