As you know, free speech is under threat as never before—especially on American college campuses. That’s why I joined 45 other prominent scholars, legal experts, and religious leaders as an initial signer of the Philadelphia Statement (www.ThePhillyStatement.org) “On Civil Discourse and the Strengthening of Liberal Democracy.” The statement calls upon all Americans to recommit to free speech and open discourse, while maintaining the possibility of a shared future alongside those with whom we differ.
 
Since the launch, over ten thousand individuals have signed onto the statement.

Pete Peterson, Dean of the Pepperdine School of Public Policy, and I explained in a recent essay why we signed the Philadelphia Statement: "We support this statement because we believe that, despite its faults, American higher education can still help to restore America’s center of gravity. As a nation, we need to re-learn how to tolerate views we dislike and how to debate people with whom we disagree. The 'Philadelphia Statement' points the way."
 
Signers include campus free speech champions like Robert Shibley of FIRE and Dr. James Lindsay of New Discourses, as well as Dr. Robert P. George and Dr. Wilfred McClay. The initial signatories also include those who have felt the brunt of cancel culture, including Ayaan Hirsi Ali of the Hoover Institution and Kevin D. Williamson of National Review.
 
I urge you to sign the statement yourself (here), and share it with your family, friends, and colleagues. We need leaders like you to step forward and galvanize this movement, which we hope will inspire a commitment to the principles of freedom that are necessary for human flourishing throughout our society.
 
If you would like to be listed publicly as a signer, please email Daniel Cochrane at [email protected]. To sign anonymously, simply visit the Philadelphia Statement website: ThePhillyStatement.org.