The Philadelphia Statement on free speech and civil discourse made its public debut on Tuesday. The 845-word document aims to oppose cancel culture and free speech policing by affirming the need for civil discourse. It comes on the heels of a YouGov poll which found that because of the current political climate 62 percent of Americans are fearful of expressing their political opinions. This is up from 58 percent in 2017. Supporters of the Philadelphia Statement are collecting signatures in hopes of starting a movement that will combat these statistics and restore a culture of free expression in America.
 
According to its organizers, “The Philadelphia Statement affirms the uniquely American commitment to free speech. In today’s ‘cancel culture,’ people and groups of good will are too often demonized or blacklisted simply for expressing their views. This needs to stop. In these turbulent and polarized times, we must recommit to principles of freedom that inspire peaceful coexistence rather than division.”

The statement reads in part, “Our liberty and our happiness depend upon the maintenance of a public culture in which freedom and civility coexist—where people can disagree robustly, even fiercely, yet treat each other as human beings—and, indeed, as fellow citizens—not mortal enemies.”
 
The Vice President of Alliance Defending Freedom, Jeremy Tedesco, is one of these organizers. He appeared on Fox News to explain his views on the Statement’s purpose. “The Philadelphia Statement is a call for all Americans to recommit to free speech, open debate and dialogue, while also committing to a shared future alongside people that we disagree with,” Tedesco said. He noted some of the prominent signatories to the statement. “But what gives real power and energy to a movement like this is when everyday Americans join.”


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