Political Quotes

“Mr. President, everybody now in the Senate remembers Senator Hatch. I want to tell you how he is still on the job, reminding Americans of our traditions. Recently, my friend from Utah, former Senator Orrin Hatch, wrote about American academia and our so-called cancel culture. I encourage all Americans to read his essay that was published in the Wall Street Journal. Senator Hatch calls for a ``renewed commitment to intellectual diversity'' and for a ``radical overhaul of campus culture.'' I agree with Senator Hatch. Our institutions of higher learning need to wake up and welcome the open exchange of ideas in the classrooms and across campuses, and if that isn't what universities and colleges are for, I don't know what they are for. Silencing or shaming students from sharing divergent views is antithetical to the American way. Our next generation of leaders deserves better. As colleges begin the school year, they should focus on keeping their students safe from the virus, but--and a big ``but''--they shouldn't worry one bit about keeping students safe from the free exchange of ideas or prevent professors from teaching different schools of thought. The herd mentality limits intellectual curiosity, and that is bad for freedom, particularly academic freedom. I yield the floor. ____________________”