For Immediate Release: March 22, 2019
Contact: Ryan Hite, Communications Director
St. Louis, MO: Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order instructing many federal agencies to aggressively defend First Amendment speech rights by connecting the issue to federal grants for colleges. This order to improve “free inquiry, transparency, and accountability” in post-secondary education will use federal funding to ensure public and private universities alike allow and encourage free speech and dialogue.
“For years, college campuses have tightened the noose around free speech, especially conservative speech,” said Ed Martin, president of Phyllis Schlafly Eagles. “It started with tolerance and sensitivity, moved to free speech zones, and has boiled over into all-out violence and riots against students (largely conservative) who go against the cultural marxist grain.
“Phyllis Schlafly wrote about all of these problems as they escalated. Conservative students on many campuses find their outlets altogether gone or their personal safety at too great a risk to speak out on today’s issues. This is absolutely disgraceful. It has created a culture of fear — one that is incapable of civil discussion or the exchange of ideas. We applaud President Trump’s move to hold higher education accountable with tax dollars. We must work to create diversity of ideas and the ability to debate them once again on American college campuses.”
The full text of the President’s order can be read here.
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