[October 11, 2020] Freedom is a value. But “freedom” – in its many variations and circumstances – is also a path to human wisdom and excellence in life. It has been far too long since I’ve written on core values and the importance they have in our existence. Today, our subject is the organization known as the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. More well-known by its acronym, FIRE.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s mission is to defend and sustain the individual rights of students and faculty members at America’s colleges and universities.1 These rights include freedom of speech, freedom of association, due process, legal equality, religious liberty, and sanctity of conscience – the essential qualities of liberty.
In 1998, the University of Pennsylvania professor Alan Charles Kors and Boston lawyer Harvey A. Silverglate co-authored The Shadow University: The Betrayal of Liberty on America’s Campuses. In response, they received hundreds of pleas for help from victims of illiberal policies and double standards that violated their rights and intruded upon their private consciences. To answer these calls for help and to transform the culture, Alan and Harvey founded FIRE.
“Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.” – Pope John Paul II
Here are their core values that have made them not just guardians of justice but famous and feared as well:
- Support for the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
- Religious liberty
- Legal Due Process
- Freedom of conscience
Three of FIRE’s primary focuses is opposition to campus speech codes, security fees, and due process. Leaders within FIRE see these as impinging upon the First Amendment and thus unconstitutional. They have a successful track record of getting universities to resend or abolish these restrictive administrative procedures.
FIRE has been praised for its work in protecting the freedom of individual university students, faculty, and administrators. We wish them the best of luck for the future. There are very few organizations that are on the right side of history and freedom for all.
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- https://www.thefire.org/about-us/mission/The QVC Difference
A great organization. Any body who pushes for greater freedoms from our elitist, commie educational system deserves my support for sure.
Mine too, thanks for the note Dead Pool Guy.
Mountain of evidence shows the Department of Education’s prior approach to campus sexual assault was ‘widely criticized’ and ‘failing’
https://www.thefire.org/mountain-of-evidence-shows-the-department-of-educations-prior-approach-to-campus-sexual-assault-was-widely-criticized-and-failing/
Interesting read on what is going on.
Every day there are real attempts to crush free speech and, by definition, freedom. Apparently our well educated, “morally superior” professors and educated administrators never heard of the First Amendment. Oh, and they also don’t know that there are 6 freedoms mentioned in it.
Expect nothing from these overeducated, dumbed-down idiots and you will get nothing. Stomp on them – figuratively of course – to get their attention and embarrass them in front of the public. This used to be called shamming, while today they call it “hate speech.” Yeah, right.
General Satterfield, super duper article.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s mission is to defend and sustain the individual rights of students and faculty members at America’s colleges and universities. These rights include freedom of speech, freedom of association, due process, legal equality, religious liberty, and sanctity of conscience — the essential qualities of liberty.
From their Mission Page.
Yes, here is the latest:
“Teaching history not permitted: St. John’s bulldozes academic freedom, punishes professor for posing question about ‘Columbian Exchange’”
https://www.thefire.org/teaching-history-not-permitted-st-johns-bulldozes-academic-freedom-punishes-professor-for-posing-question-about-columbian-exchange/
Who would suspect that anti-freedom is so prevalent.
Thanks Tony. We all need to be well informed and this example is what we should all have immediately available when someone denies that higher educ is crushing freedoms.
Great organization for those who support freedom. Bad org for those that love Marxism.
Your last para sums it up well. Everyone, read, think, listen to what is here:
“FIRE has been praised for its work in protecting the freedom of individual university students, faculty, and administrators. We wish them the best of luck for the future. There are very few organizations that are on the right side of history and freedom for all.”
You got that right Yusaf. Gen. Satterfield is often the first to step out on a topic and showing us the importance of core values is one of them. However, he has been doing this for years. Take a look at the SEARCH feature and just search on ‘core values’ to see what I mean.
Excellent article. Thanks Gen. Satterfield. Your series on ‘core values’ has been a godsend to us. Values to matter.
F.I.R.E. great organization. I’ve been reading more about them lately over the years since so many colleges and universities have been cracking down on hate speech (which is really speech they just don’t like at the moment).
Simple hit to the gut to any college that restricts free speech. Wow, I think I read something about free speech somewhere in the US Constitution. Oh yeah, the First Amendment.
Soooooo right! Thank you Doug for a succinct analysis of higher ed. It is so in the tank for Marxism that it is hard to believe. I saw it coming but didn’t think we’d have Communist Kamala Harris so brazen and even chosen for the ticket to run against Pres Trump. Oh, she is “stupid is as stupid does.” Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
😊😊😊😊😊
You’re killing me, Forrest. Thank you for a bit of humor this morning on a serious topic.
You got that right Mr. Gump. Thank you, thank you, thank you!