Posted on 05/11/2024 3:52:36 PM PDT by Right Wing Vegan
Conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Saturday warned that support for freedom of speech is "declining dangerously," especially on college campuses, as part of a commencement address he delivered at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, a Catholic college in Ohio.
His remarks appeared to reference unrest at various college campuses around the country arising from protests against Israel's military operations in Gaza.
“Right now in the world outside this beautiful campus, troubled waters are slamming against some of our most fundamental principles," Alito said.
"Support for freedom of speech is declining dangerously," he added, especially on college campuses, where the exchange of ideas should be most protected.
"Very few colleges live up to that ideal. This place is one of them … but things are not that way out there in the broader world," Alito said.
Though Alito's support for free speech has its limits — he was a notable sole dissenter when the Supreme Court in 2011 ruled 8-1 that members of the conservative Westboro Baptist Church had a free speech right to picket the funeral of a military veteran.
"Our profound national commitment to free and open debate is not a license for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in this case," he wrote in dissent.
Alito, who is Catholic, has frequently raised the alarm about freedom of religion being under attack and has often voted in favor of expanding religious rights.
"Freedom of religion is also imperiled," he told the graduating students. "When you venture out into the world, you may well find yourself in a job, or community or a social setting when you will be pressured to endorse ideas you don’t believe, or to abandon core beliefs. It will be up to you to stand firm."
The Supreme Court is poised in the coming weeks to issue major rulings on a series of contentious issues including abortion, gun rights and whether former President Donald Trump is immune from prosecution for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Alito, the author of the 2022 ruling that overturned abortion rights landmark Roe v. Wade, is one of several justices making public appearances while the court prepares its rulings.
On Friday, fellow conservative Justice Clarence Thomas decried the "nastiness and the lies" he has faced while speaking at a judicial conference in Alabama.
He and his wife, conservative political activist Ginni Thomas, have both been in the spotlight in recent years. He has been accused of failing to follow ethics rules, while she was criticized for backing Trump's effort to challenge election results.
At another judicial conference in Texas, conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh said on Friday that Supreme Court rulings that are unpopular when issued can later become part of the "fabric of American constitutional law."
The 1960s Counterculture virtually started off with Mario Savio’s free speech demonstrations at Berkley.
Kids today seem to want to re-ignite the political activism of the 60s. But they do it, in part, to cancel Free Speech and to curtail individual rights. Their intolerance is monumental, and they seem to do it in the name of tolerance.
>> Kids today...
Soros’ goons
Ya think? Clown.
Defund any university with a speech code.
The freedom of speech horse left the academia barn decades ago.
We need to stop the Federal funding of the Universities then tax the endowments at a 99% rate.
Alito is like the *one* damned thing Bush 43 ever did right... reluctantly (cf. Harriet Miers).
Its been this way for 2 decades, starting with the PC movement. In a just world, there would be 1st amendment lawsuits.
That train left the station a long time ago.
I worked in university libraries 1969-2017.
There is no freedom of speech for conservatives including Trump supporters.
Example. Some company the library bought from sent a 9 by 12 inch color photo President Reagan as part of a thank you. A coworker who was one of the four conservatives out of 70 employees decided to put the picture behind her desk instead of destroy it.
Day by day staff would walk by and see it on the cubicle behind her. More and more complained and griped until she was told to take it down. Others I recall: Malcolm X poster, Tupac Shakur, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Hillary. All unquestionably okay.
They got their way. No more free speech needed.
Basic Rights require no popular support.
One person is enough.
It has more to do than just the anti-Semitism going on. This has been going on for a long time with conservatives.
Except their free speech
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.