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Past Campaigns

Past NTC Campaigns

Past Campaigns

Tell the ACLU: Support Elon Musk’s Vision of Free Speech at Twitter

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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is at it again, flouting their stated mission and targeting their ire at one of their own card-carrying members: Elon Musk. On April 25 the billionaire owner of Tesla and SpaceX made waves with the announcement that social media giant Twitter had accepted his offer to buy out the platform. “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” Musk stated following the deal. “I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans. Twitter has tremendous potential — I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it.” Free speech, greater transparency, and open debate — principles that should be welcomed by the ACLU, the massive nonprofit founded on defending freedom of expression. Such an embrace was not to be extended by the organization. “While Elon Musk is an ACLU card-carrying member and one of our most significant supporters, there’s a lot of danger having so much power in the hands of any one individual,” ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero said. He continued: “We should be worried about any powerful central actor, whether it’s a government or any wealthy individual — even if it’s an ACLU member — having so much control over the boundaries of our political speech online.” The ACLU expressed no such concerns about Jack Dorsey when he wielded the exact same power and influence over Twitter before its initial public offering. Does the ACLU stand for civil liberties for everyone? Or just those they agree with? “The extreme antibody reaction from those who fear free speech says it all,” Musk tweeted on April 26. This isn’t the first time the ACLU has seemingly forgotten what the “CL” in its acronym stands for. The organization has a storied history as an objective defender of American civil liberties — however controversial the individual or vile the speech, the ACLU built a reputation around a mission that the Constitution protects everyone. Sadly, in recent years, the ACLU has made a drastic departure from its stated mission. Once a bastion of free speech, the ACLU has allowed social justice trends direct its actions. A 2021 New York Times exposé revealed the ACLU can’t decide if it wants to stick to its founding principles or become just another soldier in the progressive cause. Join us in holding the ACLU accountable: ask them to support their stated mission or be honest and change it! [Photo credit: Heisenberg Media, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)]

Past Campaigns

Emory University Charters Free Speech Forum Following 1,000+ Messages Sent by NTC Advocates

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Update (04/11/22): Following pressure from NTC advocates, The Emory Free Speech Forum officially received a charter from the university. “The Emory Free Speech Forum is immensely grateful to the New Tolerance Campaign advocates for your support and action on our behalf.” —Emory Free Speech Forum Treasurer Cory Conley Thank you to the many New Tolerance Campaign grassroots advocates who made this victory possible! Emory University is crystal clear on their stated values. Their Respect for Open Expression policy declares the school is “committed to an environment where open expression of ideas is valued, promoted, and encouraged,” and vows to “not deny recognition to an organization because of disagreement with its mission or the viewpoints that it represents.” In the case of the Emory Free Speech Forum, it is upholding neither. The Emory Free Speech Forum is a student-led group “devoted to fostering critical discourse and open dialogue surrounding important issues in law and society.” In October, the organization was rebuffed in its application for formal chartering by the Emory Law Student Bar Association (SBA), which cited concerns that the group and its proposed topics of discussion could cause “harm.” The SBA also worried that chartering the Emory Free Speech forum would “likely give rise to a precarious environment — one where the conversation might very easily devolve,” and said it was “hesitant to issue a charter when there are no apparent safeguards in place to prevent potential and real harm that could result from these discussions.” No other campus organizations are required to have “safeguards” in order to be chartered. In the absence of a formal charter by the university, the Emory Free Speech Forum is prevented from reserving university space for meetings, denied access to university funds, and omitted from benefits enjoyed by other university student groups.   [photo: Emory University School of Law [CC BY-SA 4.0] / Wikimedia Commons]

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Tell State Pension Boards: Divest from Un-American Express

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Whether you know it or not, your taxpayer dollars are funding “wokeness” run amok at American Express — and you have the power to turn the tide of this madness. There’s nothing American about viewing employees primarily by their race — but Un-American Express is doing exactly that. Last August, Manhattan Institute fellow Christopher Rufo detailed the full embrace of woke doctrine at Un-American Express. Their “anti-racism” program actually perpetuates racism and inequality among their customers and employees. Among their policies: AmEx is tying executive bonuses to racial “equity” instead of merit AmEx instituted critical race theory training, teaching staff that “capitalism is racist” and asking workers to rank themselves on a hierarchy of “privilege” AmEx gave preferential contracts to suppliers based on race All of these practices are possibly unconstitutional and illegal. Even worse — your taxpayer dollars are funding this nonsense via mutual funds, index funds, and even direct investments made by state pension boards, who may not even be aware they’re directing taxpayer revenue to underwrite Un-American wokeness run wild. But this isn’t a lost cause — far from it! In January, West Virginia Treasurer Riley Moore announced he would divest all state investments from the woke capitalists at Blackrock. Now it’s Un-American Express’s turn. Send a message to your state pension board: their responsibility to taxpayers like you requires they divest from Un-American Express!

Past Campaigns

Hundreds of Advocates Told Coca-Cola to Stand Up to Russia

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Update: After widespread pressure including hundreds of messages sent to Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey by NTC advocates, Coca-Cola announced its suspension of operations in Russia on March 8, 2022. One year ago, Coca-Cola Company CEO James Quincey was falling all over himself to denounce the passage of voting rights legislation in the state of Georgia that critics called “restrictive.” “Let me be crystal clear and unequivocal — this legislation is unacceptable,” he told CNBC. “This legislation is wrong and needs to be remedied, and we will continue to advocate for it both in private and in now even more clearly in public.” Contrast that with the soft-drink giant’s muted response to the ongoing brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces: dead silence. If the Coca-Cola Company truly believes in its stated values, then this moment requires that they condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and join the many global brands ceasing to do business in the country. It’s not as though the Coca-Cola Company prefers to remain silent on social issues — their website’s homepage currently highlights company positions on climate change, “racial equity,” and features an image of a Coca-Cola LGBTQ-themed lapel pin. On March 3, the company issued a statement, “Support for Ukraine,” in which they outlined their donation of “€1 million to support the brave efforts of the Red Cross movement operating in Ukraine” and “a further €550,000 to support refugees” — financial contributions for Coca-Cola that represent a drop in the bucket compared to their consistent revenues of more than $30 billion each year. Notable about Coca-Cola’s statement of “Support for Ukraine”? No mention of Russia whatsoever. It’s not difficult to connect the dots: Coca-Cola’s Swiss-based bottler, Coca-Cola HBC, gets about 21% of its volume from Russia and Ukraine. There is no doubt that suspending business ties with Russia would be a blow to Coca-Cola’s bottom line, but if they’re truly the socially conscious brand they claim to be, cutting ties with Russia is the only choice.   [photo credit]

Past Campaigns

More than 26,000 Messages Sent to NBC Execs Saying #NotOneMinute of your Time Was Spent Watching the CCP’s Propaganda Olympics

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In February, the New Tolerance Campaign announced our first grassroots boycott: urging supporters to commit to watching #NotOneMinute of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games hosted by the oppressive Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and broadcast in the United States by NBC. All total, more than 26,000 messages were sent to senior executives at NBC telling them #NotOneMinute of your time was spent watching their coverage of the CCP’s propaganda Games! China’s transgressions are infamous: they have rolled back democracy in Hong Kong, engaged in sweeping authoritarian censorship of the Chinese people, and perpetuated massive human rights abuses, including the ongoing genocide of Uighurs in Xinjiang. Bold and Brave activists, such as yourself, helped send a message to NBC that we will not tolerate China’s oppression of Uighurs. The #NotOneMinute campaign is the brainchild of Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who launched the initiative on her January 17 telecast. “Every minute you watch, you put money in the pocket of those profiting off the communist PR coup,” she said during the announcement. “We love our athletes, and we celebrate them — and we’re going to celebrate them upon their return, but we will respond to this hideous sellout by corporate America in the only language they understand: money.” As New Tolerance Campaign President Gregory T. Angelo tweeted: How much of the #Beijing2022 Olympics will I be watching? #NotOneMinute. Wishing all the athletes well, but not giving one SECOND of support to this CCP propaganda! — Gregory T. Angelo (@gregorytangelo) January 15, 2022 Thanks to your hard work and dedication, the Chinese winter Olympics had the smallest TV audience in its history.

Past Campaigns

Hundreds of NTC Advocates Demanded that Golden State Warriors Leadership Condemn Uyghur Persecution in China

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Update: NTC advocates sent countless messages to Golden State Warriors President Rick Welts and VP of Communications Raymond Ridder demanding they explicitly condemn the persecution of the Uyghurs taking place in China.  Unfortunately, Mr. Welts and Mr. Ridder have remained silent.  On January 17, news broke that Chamath Palihapitiya, co-owner of the Golden State Warriors basketball team, asserted that “nobody cares” about the persecution of Muslim Uyghurs in China. “Nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uyghurs, okay,” Palihapitiya said on the “All In” podcast. “You bring it up because you care and I think it’s nice that you care. The rest of us don’t care. I’m just telling you a very hard, ugly truth. Of all the things that I care about, yes, it is below my line,” Palihapitiya explained. He subsequently issued a general apology. Hours later, the team’s PR department went into damage control mode — and their statement only made things worse: “As a limited investor who has no day-to-day operating functions with the Warriors, Mr. Palihapitiya does not speak on behalf of our franchise, and his views certainly don’t reflect those of our organization,” the team tweeted. Exactly what “views” would those be? As Casey Mattox wryly paraphrased: “His views do not reflect our views which we will not be releasing at this time and, to all appearances, are functionally the same as his views.” If the Golden State Warriors are serious about standing up against human rights abuses in China and disagree with Chamath Palihapitiya’s assertion that “nobody cares,” they need to step up and say it.   [photo: Mike Disharoon “Mike D,” [CC BY-SA 2.0], via [CC BY-SA 4.0] / Wikimedia Commons]

Past Campaigns

Thank the Women’s Tennis Association and their Chairman & CEO Steve Simon for Taking a Stand Against China in Support of Tennis Star Peng Shuai

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It’s been 17 days and counting since tennis star Peng Shuai was last heard from or seen. On November 2, Peng, who made history as the first-ever Chinese tennis player to be ranked #1 in the world in doubles competition, made headlines when she accused former senior Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexually assaulting her. In a post on the Chinese social media site Weibo, Peng stated Zhang forced her to have sex three years ago. Moments later, the post disappeared — and so did Peng. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has claimed ignorance, stating it was “not aware of the situation.” Such a shrug wasn’t enough for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and their Chairman & CEO Steve Simon, who stated that he is willing to end all WTA business with China until and unless Peng’s safety and well-being are accounted for, and her allegations of sexual impropriety investigated. Simon’s stand in support of human rights and Peng could cost the WTA hundreds of millions of dollars — but Simon said human rights are worth far more than that to the WTA. “We’re definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it,” he said. “Because this is certainly, this is bigger than the business.”  Tell Steve Simon and the Women’s Tennis Association you’re grateful they’re willing to put it all on the line for Peng Shuai and human rights!   [photo: © Claude Truong-Ngoc / Wikimedia Commons]

Past Campaigns

Tell Emerson College Interim President William Gilligan Criticism of the CCP is NOT Racist

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News broke on October 5 that Emerson College took punitive action against the school’s Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter for distributing stickers critical of the Chinese Communist Party. The stickers prominently featured a hammer and sickle and read, “China Kinda Sus” — a reference to the popular online game Among Us in which players seek to guess who the enemy is (in the game, “sus” is slang/shorthand for “suspect” or “suspicious”). Nevertheless, Emerson’s Interim President William Gilligan came out swinging against the student group, writing in a letter that the stickers were “inconsistent with the College’s values and will not be tolerated on our campus.” He continued: “At this time in particular, when there has been a rise in anti-Asian sentiment, it is important to denounce all instances of anti-Asian bigotry and hate, and affirm our support and solidarity with the Asian and Asian-American community on campuses and around the world.” Criticizing the oppressive government of China is not racist! Gilligan went on to declare that reports of the on-campus activity had been “referred to the Office of Community Standards and Student Conduct and the College will initiate an investigation.” “Our organization faces removal from campus and all our board members face potential disciplinary action by the school,” TPUSA-Emerson President Sam Neves told The College Fix. “As an international student, some of those disciplinary actions could get me deported out of the United States.” In a video posted on Twitter, TPUSA-Emerson Vice President Kjersten Lynum stated, “The sticker intends to criticize the Chinese government, the regime responsible for the largest genocide in the world right now.” She went on to share that her relatives are from China and Singapore, and is “offended that people would suggest I have hatred towards my own race.” Emerson College purports to hold freedom of speech in the highest regard. Its “Statement on Freedom of Expression” says that preservation of speech “is not only a right but a community responsibility.” Emerson College needs to stand by its stated support for freedom of speech and stop its disciplinary actions against Turning Point USA for criticizing the oppressive government of China. Tell Emerson College Interim President William Gilligan to stop his foolish attack on Turning Point USA! Update (March 17, 2022): Emerson College has derecognized the school’s Turning Point USA chapter — but all  is not lost! Please continue to send messages to the university’s Interim President William Gilligan asking him to reverse the decision and provide Emerson’s TPUSA club with the charter it deserves.

Past Campaigns

Tell CEO Karen Lynch You’re DONE with CVS Health Until They End Hypocritical CRT Trainings

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On Wednesday, September 22, in a blistering exposé, Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Christopher Rufo published insider information revealing the latest major U.S. corporation to go “woke”: CVS Health. In the article, Rufo presents information from multiple whistleblowers detailing a so-called “antiracist” training program that required employees to deconstruct their “privilege.” Trainers told CVS Health employees to circle their identities — “including race, gender, sexuality, and religion” — and then rank themselves accordingly on a “privilege” scale. Larry Merlo, who served as the CEO of CVS Health until January of this year, hosted a conversation with Boston University professor and leading proponent of critical race theory Ibram Kendi, who told more than 25,000 CVS Health employees that Americans are “walking through society completely soaked in racist ideas,” including children as young as two to three years old. “Our kids are basically functioning on racist ideas, choosing who to play with based on the kid’s skin color,” Kendi said. As wage-and-hour CVS Health employees were lectured on their “privilege,” Merlo raked in a salary of $22 million — 618 times the median company wage of $35,529. CVS Health must end its hypocritical critical race theory trainings. Merlo is now retired. His replacement, Karen Lynch, took over as the CEO of CVS Health in February. She also sits on the company’s Board of Directors. Her appointment brings with it an opportunity to end future CRT trainings for CVS Health employees, encouraging an environment in which no one is labeled as inherently racist and everyone is valued equally. Send a message to CEO Karen Lynch: tell her you will no longer support CVS Health until they end their hypocritical CRT Trainings!  

Past Campaigns

Tell Facebook to End Its Censorship Double Standards

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On September 13, 2021, Jeff Horwitz of the Wall Street Journal broke news of massive institutional double standards at Facebook, resulting in one set of terms of service enforcement for celebrities, professional athletes, and other public figures, and a different set of standards for everyone else. The social media giant’s “XCheck” system, as it is called internally at Facebook, “has protected public figures whose posts contain harassment or incitement to violence, violations that would typically lead to sanctions for regular users,” Horowitz revealed in his exposé. Intra-company reviews of the policy determined that Facebook’s preferential treatment of elites “found favoritism to those users to be both widespread and ‘not publicly defensible.’” Facebook must end its censorship double standards and stop treating elites differently than everyone else. The XCheck system, according to the Wall Street Journal report, was created in order to help Facebook avoid “PR fires” — essentially, for the sake of avoiding negative press, the standards of enforcement for what constitutes unacceptable content are much lower for those in Facebook’s secret club of VIPs. For the masses of everyday users of Facebook, no such special consideration is given. Ordinary users can have posts censored and deleted automatically by Facebook’s algorithm or taken down by moderators. Once that happens, the avenues for appeal are few. Responding to the Wall Street Journal piece, Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone issued a thread on Twitter that sought to explain XCheck as a reasonable system that allowed the social media platform to double-check posts from certain pages and people before taking action against them. In so doing, he underscored the fact that Facebook does, indeed, have two sets of standards for the enforcement of its policies. Send CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook a message: double standards that allow the privileged elite to get away with activity that gets everyday users banned is unacceptable. Add your voice to the New Tolerance Campaign petition!

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