PRESS RELEASE:
On September 16th, the University of North Carolina – Asheville chapter of Young Americans for Liberty launches their Fight for Free Speech campaign, a movement to respect our fundamental rights and reform free speech codes, by challenging speech codes that they find unconstitutional.
“There is a dangerous trend on college campuses right now that speech should be censored if someone doesn’t agree or it hurts someone’s feelings,” said Chapter President, Ahmed Elassy. “Our YAL chapter believes the free flow of ideas is vital to a healthy academic environment, and we’re here to combat these authoritarian voices.”
In the Spring of 2016, nearly 300 chapters at campuses nationwide engaged in this coordinated campaign to defend every student’s right to Free Speech.
Alexander Staudt, YAL’s Director of Free Speech, said of the campaign, “This issue affects all students—conservatives, liberals, libertarians, blacks, Latinos, Asians, whites, and everyone else in between. It puts a choke hold on the exploration of ideas which is the hallmark of intellectual growth for our nation’s future leaders—we must unite to protect speech for all.”
University of North Carolina – Asheville currently has speech codes that prohibit expression outside of its designated “free speech zone.” In an effort to show their disagreement with the university’s free speech zone, the Young Americans for Liberty chapter plans on exercising their first amendment rights outside of the zone on September 16th.
To join your local chapter, contact us at aelassy@unca.edu To learn more about YAL and its activism across the country, visit www.yaliberty.org.
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