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A PFS Editorial
Last week was a good week for free speech at Princeton. Three separate events were held covering controversial topics that had drawn protests and even shout-downs at other universities, and there was only one minor and appropriately carried out protest. Furthermore, university administrators addressed all concerns of the event sponsors, supplied on-site security, and in one case, reminded a small group of protestors of the rules on protesting before the event.
Princetonians for Free Speech (PFS) co-sponsored one of the events and provided financial and other support to the student groups that put on the other two. PFS also ran a full-page ad in the Daily Princetonian a few days before the first event in which we provided the key phrases from Princeton’s rules on free speech and protests, as well as quotes about the importance of free speech from President Eisgruber. The ad was put up as a poster around campus and made available to event sponsors to use as a handout at events.
The first event was held on November 13 and featured Riley Gaines, the former All-American college swimmer who has become probably the most well-known speaker against transgender athletes participating in women’s sports. It was sponsored by the Princeton Open Campus Coalition, a student group that advocates for free speech on campus. The POCC is an outstanding group, and PFS is privileged to work with its student members on an on-going basis.
This event went on without any protest, even though Riley Gaines has drawn strong protests on other campuses. In one widely covered situation last April, she had to have a police escort to leave an event at San Francisco State that was disrupted.
The second event, held on November 15, was co-sponsored by PFS and the James Madison Program. It also drew no protest. The speaker was Heather Mac Donald, who often speaks on college campuses. She is the author of several books, including her most recent one, When Race Trumps Merit, and The War on Cops. Her speeches on campuses have often generated protests, including speeches at Harvard, Penn, and Colgate. Her speech at Claremont McKenna College in 2017 was disrupted, resulting in the suspension of several students there.
The third event, a panel, was sponsored by the Princeton chapter of the Federalist Society. PFS provides support for Federalist Society events on campus. It was entitled “The Transgender Movement and Its Assault on Biology.”
There was a protest by a few students, but a Princeton administrator was there to remind protestors of Princeton’s rules, and the protestors complied with those rules. They held signs, but in no way tried to disrupt the discussion.
Particularly given the protests that are currently going at universities around the country, alumni should be heartened that these three programs went forward with no attempt to disrupt them. The rules were followed, and university administrators were actively engaged with the sponsors of the events to address any potential issues. It was a good week, indeed, for free speech at Princeton.
One wishes for a better speaker than Heather MacDonald. As a faculty member, I heard her talk at Claremont McKenna College.
Isaac Barsoum
Daily Princetonian
Excerpt: Leftists at Princeton cheer the assassination of Charlie Kirk — at least, that’s what you would think if you’ve been reading the Opinion section of this newspaper lately. On Sept. 17, Tigers for Israel President Maximillian Meyer ’27 declared that Princeton’s progressives exhibit “a willingness to cheer violence itself.” Princeton Tory Publisher Zach Gardner ’26 didn’t go quite so far, but did say that students “treat bloodshed flippantly,” at least in the context of Kirk’s assassination.
Here’s one problem: large portions of both their arguments rest on evidence drawn from Fizz. For the uninitiated, Fizz is a campus social media app where any Princeton student can say anything at all, true or false, behind the veil of anonymity. It is remarkable that I have to say this: Fizz is not real life.
Cynthia Torres
Daily Princetonian
Excerpt: About three-quarters of the way into an interview with The Daily Princetonian, University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 made a bold pronouncement: “American universities are the best that they’ve ever been.”
Eisgruber has been in the business of speaking up for universities since the beginning of the Trump administration, which has put unprecedented pressure on Princeton and its peer institutions. His new book, “Terms of Respect,” argues, as the book’s subtitle reads, “how colleges get free speech right.” Despite the perception of intolerance on American college campuses, Eisgruber writes, colleges still host thriving and robust discourse.
By Marisa Hirschfield ‘27
On September 17th, Harvard Law School professor Jeannie Suk Gersen delivered the annual Constitution Day Lecture in McCosh 50. The lecture, co-hosted by the James Madison Program and the Program in Law and Normative Thinking, was entitled “Our Civil Rights Revolution.” Professor Gersen discussed the history of affirmative action and the evolving meaning of civil rights.
Robert Beebe
November 22, 2023
So heartening to get this kind of report out of my alma mater. I might even decide to start contributing to Annual Giving again!