On Monday, September 18, the Cornell Program on Freedom and Free Societies, Cornell Republicans, and the Cornell Review will be co-hosting a topical event during the year of “Free Expression” at Cornell titled, “Free Speech and a more perfect Union.” The event will feature Mr. Connor Murnane of The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
Currently, as the Director of Engagement and Mobilization for FIRE, Mr. Murnane is an expert in the field of freedom of expression, along with contemporary debates regarding the First Amendment on college campuses across the nation.
Murnane received his Bachelors in History from Ashland University, along with his Masters in political communications at American University in 2019. Before joining FIRE, Murnane worked for the American Council of Trustees and Alumni – another free speech group – as the director of communications, focusing on networking and external messaging.
Cornell has long been plagued – and continues to struggle – with intolerance of free expression on campus. New data by FIRE shows that Cornell has dropped to 212th place out of 248 schools across the country in support for free speech. But, this new statistic should not come as a surprise to many, as we have witnessed several instances of speakers being heckled and shouted down at Cornell, and across the country.
Just last year, conservative firebrand Ann Coulter ‘84’s planned remarks were halted by hecklers shouting and playing music during the event. Some students took to the Cornell Daily Sun to express their distaste of Coulter and her politics with a letter to the editor titled, “Ann Coulter is not Welcome Here,” addressing an already open wound across college campuses between protestors and their hosting counterparts. For instance, when Cornell failed to provide adequate evidence of any repercussions for the hecklers that disrupted the Coulter event, leading to an atmosphere where it appears that no one will be held accountable for their future disruptions.
The upcoming Murnane talk is not the first event with the hopes to address this growing problem. On September 7th, the Cornell Law School hosted a panel discussion, titled, “The Fundamentals of Freedom of Expression,” where the “heckler’s veto” was attacked, Coulter’s provocative – but protected – speech on campus was defended, and the intersection between equality and freedom of expression on Cornell’s campus was debated.
At Mr. Murnane’s event, he will be addressing the increasingly relevant issue of freedom of speech on campus, along with discussing the obstacles that are associated with safeguarding the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment and the need for its urgent protection at Cornell. Given Mr. Murnane’s expertise and tact in the subject area, he is sure to provide a refreshing perspective on the issue.
A zoom link to the lecture can be found here.
Max Whalen contributed to this report.
