Freedom of speech takes many forms, and we need your support for both of these.
Attention! (Did that work?) Hi. Just wanted to tell you that National Review is now halfway through its very (very!) important Fall Webathon 2019.
Now, you may know that National Review often asks for support, but I’m not joking when I say that this webathon really is “very (very!)” important. That’s because, in addition to everything else, we also need help to pay our legal bills in Mann v. National Review — a case where not only we, but also free speech, are on trial.
If you have ever read my columns, you know how important free speech is to me . . . and how important it should be to everyone. The good news is — as I touched on in my very first-ever magazine piece, about how the super-woke critics thought Dave Chappelle’s most recent stand-up special was too offensive, but audiences loved it — there are more people on the free-speech side of things than it can sometimes seem like there are. In fact — as I also noted in my very first-ever magazine piece (can you tell I’m excited?) — a study released last year found that a whopping 80 percent of Americans believe that “political correctness is a problem in our country.”
That’s the good news. The bad news (sorry!) is that, although they may be small in numbers, those super-woke people still do have a lot of influence over our culture.
That’s where National Review comes in. See, working for National Review, and getting my first-ever piece in the magazine (sorry, I’ll stop), has been such an honor because of what this magazine means — both to me and to our country. I remember my dad getting it in the mail when I was just a little girl, so actually getting to be a part of it myself has been beyond my wildest dreams. Why? Well, because it features some of the best and brightest minds (and, you know, me) who are on the front lines of the culture war, fighting for free speech and other crucial American values.
Make no mistake: This is crucial in these times. After all, both as a comic and as a person, laughter is important to me. Actually, it’s no exaggeration to say that it’s my single favorite part of life. Do you know what’s not funny, though? The fact that there are people out there who want to take that away. The fact that there are people out there who are hell-bent on getting offended by everything, who think that their own personal, ridiculous sensibilities are more important than the joy that normal, well-adjusted people can find through laughter. I can’t be alone in saying that humor has gotten me through some hard times in my life. It has a healing power like nothing else, and the incredibly sad truth is that it’s under threat.
That’s where you come in. If you want to join us in the fight to keep the comedy funny and the speech free, donate what you can to help. Every little bit helps, and the big bits (obviously) help even more (because that’s how money works). You can do it! I know that money is precious — but, at least to me, laughter and expression are even more so.
P.S.: Your generous contribution supports the journalism, commentary, and opinion writing published in National Review magazine and on National Review Online. If you prefer to send a check, please mail it to National Review, ATTN: Fall 2019 Webathon, 19 West 44th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY 10036.
Please note that contributions to National Review, Inc., while vitally important, are not tax deductible.