It started Sept. 9, when the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression ( FIRE ), where I work, released its sixth annual College Free Speech Rankings .

Art can’t give us immortality, but it can give us something better. It can give us what Roy Batty longed for: more life.

The nation’s top law enforcement officer doesn’t understand there is no hate-speech exception to the First Amendment — and that’s scary.

A new survey from FIRE shows one-third of college students are open to the use of violence to stop speech. That’s a crisis for higher ed — and for democracy.

Artificial intelligence can't compete with human creativity.

The ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion are noble. It’s the execution that’s gone wrong.

There are better ways to bridge our political divide than getting buttered up by Trump.

They say that where Harvard goes, others follow. For the first time in a while, supporters of free expression on American campuses should hope that’s true.

Without free speech, academic freedom, and confidence in our experts and institutions, no amount of fact-checking will help.

If an agency dedicated to investigating and even reeducating Americans for protected speech isn’t Orwellian, nothing is.

You can’t use the legal system to punish people for speech you don’t like. Here's why.

Doing the right thing, rising above cynicism and despair, and seeing the good in others isn’t always easy—but it’s always imperative.

If our goal is to protect and preserve our republic, chaos cannot be what we choose.

Overturning Sullivan would inevitably lead to fewer citizens contributing to conversations of social, national, and political import.

“Believe those who seek the truth,” André Gide once wrote, “doubt those who find it.” The same can be said of falsehoods.

The film never loses sight of the point: The Superman character, themes, and imagery are merely metaphors for Reeve himself.

People can hand-wave this rising trend against free speech on campus, but they do so at their own peril…

Nearly two centuries after writing ‘On Liberty’, Mill remains one of the forefathers of free expression. Here’s why.

While the movement on campus is gaining momentum, let’s not lose sight of the prize…

The policy change could spark similar reforms throughout higher education. Where Harvard leads, others follow.

More than 50 arrested after state police storm protestors at University of Texas at Austin in disturbing display of force and free speech violations.

Universities have a right to define and adopt institutional values aimed at becoming more successful institutions of higher learning.

College’s unconstitutional response to group’s protected expression chills campus speech.

Indirect government censorship is still government censorship — and it must be stopped.

Campuses must have the highest tolerance for expression, but no tolerance at all for violence like that exhibited by an anti-Israel mob this week.

Pennsylvania’s criteria for denying vanity plates trample free expression.

Jewish reggae and hip-hop artist Matisyahu made headlines last week after two of his upcoming live performances were suddenly canceled.

Semantics aside, the concept is clear: Universities should refrain from taking political positions.

The worst way to honor King’s legacy is to forget that he was a human being…

During last week’s House Education Committee hearing on campus antisemitism, college presidents like Harvard’s Claudine Gay used free speech grounds to defend anti-Israel protests on campus.

We have to learn to discuss difficult and contentious topics intelligently.

Should society tolerate intolerance to protect freedom of expression? A deep dive into Karl Popper’s ideas and modern free speech debates.

Political tribalism prevents us from seeing free speech issues clearly.

A commitment to civility is first and foremost about not becoming what we oppose.

Even with our current climate of fake news, misinformation, disinformation, and election lies, we shouldn’t use government power to limit speech.

Productive disagreements seem tougher than ever these days, but they’re even more necessary. Here are some tips for having difficult conversations.

Discover the power of mindfulness to navigate stress and anxiety. Learn simple mindfulness techniques and explore resources to bring peace and clarity to your daily life…

We’re sending you next week’s essay early. It’s a thoughtful piece by Angel Eduardo, the former editor of FAIR Substack and current member of FAIR's Board of Directors, marking the birthday…

In an era of hyper-certainty, dialogue and humility are more vital than ever.

For all the talk of Twitter being a digital town square, it is ultimately more like Elon Musk’s house party.

The publishing industry’s increasing appetite for “sensitivity readings” is terrible for free expression in the arts and our discourse.

Read on for conflict resolution strategies to practice at work, and a few proactive steps you can take to help prevent future issues.

The 1964 Supreme Court case was a watershed moment in free speech law. Overturning it would be a disaster for free expression and democratic debate.

Trumpeting your wokeness—or anti-wokeness—won’t do anything to fix society’s problems.

It is because of this admiration for Carlin’s work, and the great care he took to articulate his perspective, that I’m infuriated by his use as another cudgel in the culture wars.

Refashioning the private company as a legitimate town square would require more change than we realize.

So much has been said about “wokeness” being a religion that it can fill a book—perhaps several.

DEI frameworks often prime us to emphasize division and cultivate discord. The question is not whether racism occurred, but how it has occurred.

Every year on Independence Day, activists across the political spectrum share Douglass' 4th of July speech, and I fear too few of them truly grasp its content.

When was the first time you saw yourself represented in media? I saw this question going around on Twitter, and as other people's responses came up on my feed over the next day or so, I…

So much has been said about “wokeness” being a religion that it can fill a book—perhaps several.

I think I've figured out how to hack social media to reap the benefits while (mostly) avoiding the pitfalls.

We cover three more methods for ensuring you have both the mental and emotional energy necessary to make sound choices, even under pressure.

I love finding out I’m wrong, but I didn’t use to. In school I was that kid who, when he knew the answer, would raise his hand high and wriggle in his seat ...

Proponents of "Latinx" aren't speaking to us or for us. They're speaking through us—to each other.

To have a joke told at your expense is a deeply human experience—and that's what Daphne Dorman wanted most of all.

Once, during dinner, a friend of mine asked me to pass the pepper. But when I reached across the table to hand it to her, she suddenly didn’t seem to want i ...

Three sixth-grade friends decide that this will be their final year trick-or-treating, and end up on an unexpected adventure that captures the bittersweet passage from childhood to…

Growing up, I was often accused of being "white." It was intended as a pejorative, one that sought to deny me my identity based on my cultural preferences.

No amount of study or assimilation or Japanophilia will ever make you Japanese—but one idea can make you American.

It is squarely on the shoulders of the proponents of CRT to resolve this confusion and to answer for its excesses.

When probing the phrase, “science is biased ” I’ve discovered that “science” in that context is being used to define not the methodology or the body of knowledge it has amassed, but the…

I was ten years old and on the verge of theft. We were at Toys “R” Us, and my brother and I both wanted the same action figure. I considered this wasteful, ...

Our decision-making process is often affected by stress, exhaustion, and fatigue. Here are three tips for keeping your head.

I don’t remember the first time I came across the idea that changing Superman’s “race” could or should increase his popularity with “people like me,” but I instantly rejected it.

Calling merit racist and lowering the standard for people who have been fighting like hell for centuries to be seen as equal only siphons their misery off into a new well.

For example, that universal basic income (UBI) could ameliorate the loss of jobs due to automation, a straw man would be, “So you want people to sit at home all day and collect free money?”…

Our social contracts appeal to our mutual self-interest: Don’t kill or steal from me, and I won’t kill or steal from you.

A father counsels his son on education and hard work during a drive across the George Washington Bridge, sharing lessons from his own immigrant journey from the Dominican Republic.

Keeping our beliefs to ourselves isn’t just impossible, it would be unethical if it were possible.

I am often told that, as a writer, I should recognize the power of words. As a crafter of poetry and prose, they tell me, surely I must understand the weight…

In 1862, Charles Darwin received a sample of orchids from Madagascar. Among them, he noticed, was a flower with an unusually long nectary, the orchid’s nect ...

I’m terrified to write this—and that’s the problem.

A memoir examining an unintentional prejudgment of a student during a creative writing course, and how social media discourse had quietly shaped the habit of evaluating people by identity…

I know a change's gonna come, oh, yes, it will…

Idealist is the place to begin your journey in learning how to make a difference in your community. Start here!

I’m leaning against the back wall of the car, in that tiny corner beside the conductor’s compartment, still managing to read despite all the other people crammed in around me.

Defiance is America's lifeblood. An argument that political protest — including flag burning — embodies American ideals more authentically than enforced displays of reverence.

An el train chugged across the tracks, shadows cutting in and out from the sun beaming above it. Cars cruised along the streets of Corona, Queens, as though there was nowhere to go.

“Lemuel,” my mother cried out to me. “No puedo ver.” I looked up. Her eyes were shut, her grip was tight around my hand, and she was telling me she couldn’t see.