Cancel Only the Cancelers

Freedom of speech is a natural human right and an important social value. It is not the only social value; like any other right or value, it must sometimes be balanced against others, such as democracy, equality, public safety, and the freedoms of conscience and association. But it is a bedrock value of tremendous importance. Whether or how it is protected in law varies by who is threatening it: the federal or state government, schools, businesses, etc. Even where speech is threatened only by private actors and is not protected by law, however, the culture of free speech is worth defending. If free speech dies as a cultural value, it will not long be respected in law.

And if the culture of free speech dies within the legal profession, the laws on the books will become unenforceable. A nation of laws is only as strong as its nation of lawyers. That is why we should be particularly alarmed when young lawyers seek to stifle free expression.