Dear John,

Atlas Network has an entire training team dedicated to serving freedom’s champions as they work to tell the story of their organizations, which promote individual rights in countries and communities around the world. And when it comes to storytelling, it helps to have role models. 

To me, John Kramer is one of the great storytellers of freedom in the world today.

If you’re someone who cares about constitutional rights, you may already be familiar with John’s work without even realizing it. 

For more than 30 years, John has led media relations at the Institute for Justice, which transformed him into an advocate for ordinary people whose fundamental rights were at stake. John has played a part in no less than 10 landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases, but perhaps the most famous story he’s told belongs to Susette Kelo — a story you may have heard called the “Little Pink House.”

In November of 2000, the city of New London, Connecticut tried seizing her home to give the land to a company that wanted to expand their factory. 

The case turned into a national story, where John helped to describe Susette as a fighter, taking on city hall for her piece of the American Dream in a little pink house on the Long Island Sound.

In fact, what made the story so outrageous at the time was that the 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling didn’t uphold Susette’s property rights. Americans were shocked into the awareness that the government was allowing eminent domain to be abused, leading 43 state legislatures and 8 state supreme courts to strengthen property rights protections.  

John’s storytelling was so powerful that when a movie was finally made about the Kelo v. New London case, called “Little Pink House,” he was written into the script as a character. John says in exchange for granting the film producers the right to portray him, he was paid with a fifth of bourbon, which he notes is the same amount John Wayne was paid for his appearance on The Beverly Hillbillies TV show.  

These are just the kinds of special insights that make hearing from John Kramer such a treat, and now, our guests at this year’s Atlas Network Freedom Dinner in New York City will be enjoying his company and wisdom at our annual Linda Whetstone Toast to Freedom. 

Linda Whetstone, a former Chair of Atlas Network’s Board of Directors, was an incredible champion for freedom in her own right. Linda believed in the universal pursuit of freedom, whether you are in Calcutta or Connecticut. Every year, we invite someone who lives up to Linda’s legacy of building a stronger freedom movement, to lead us in a toast to the principles and efforts we all hold dear. 

So many new chapters will be written in New York at this year’s Liberty Forum & Freedom Dinner, and nearly every seat at the event is spoken for. It would be great to see you if you can make it! Drop by if you're in the New York area or you can follow along with us on social media and learn about the work of our partners in attendance.

All my best,

Kam Griffin
Associate Director of Development
Atlas Network