Free speech is dying by a thousand tiny cuts...

This week, I was compelled to defend a FAIR member who was fired for advocating viewpoint diversity in libraries

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File this under “Just When You Think Things Can’t Get Worse...”

Last month I learned that Cathy Simpson, CEO of a library in a small town in Ontario, Canada, was put on indefinite paid leave based on an Op-Ed she had written in her local paper. In her article, she lamented that “viewpoints that don’t conform to progressive agendas are rarely represented in library collections and anyone who challenges this is labelled a bigot.” She argued that librarians should embrace “library neutrality and pluralism” advocated by the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR), the organization that I helm.

Among other things, Cathy noted that FAIR stood for “[c]ivil rights and liberties guaranteed to each individual, including freedom of speech and expression, equal protection under the law, and the right to personal privacy.”

While these seemed like rather commonsense and innocuous assertions, they triggered a firestorm in Cathy’s small community. After one resident sent an angry response to the newspaper, Cathy soon lost the support of colleagues and found herself the target of a modern day lynch mob. Last week, she was fired.

In its defense of Cathy’s dismissal, the library’s Board of Directors claimed it had no issue with free speech, but rather the fact that FAIR was a “right wing” organization that had ulterior motives for advocating for these principles. Of course, I had to respond to this nonsense, and the National Post was gracious enough to provide a forum.

Cathy has retained a lawyer and is fighting back. As she was just three years shy of retirement, this is a devastating blow. I’ve spoken with her at length and have assured her that FAIR will do everything in its power to assist and stands with her in solidarity. I’ve expressed my apologies and profound regret that she has suffered merely by her association with our organization. But Cathy refuses to accept my apologies. She understands that we’re fast reaching a point where it will soon be impossible to defend the foundational principles of western society without personal sacrifice.

Cathy’s story is a reminder that at some point, it is likely we will all be tested. When that time comes, I only hope that each of us will have the courage to stand as tall as she has. Our future literally depends upon it.

You can read my Op-Ed here.’’