Justice Alito warns that freedom of speech is dangerously declining

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito expressed concern about the negative impact of global protests in the name of freedom, stating that they are actually harming the cause.

“Right now, troubled waters are challenging some of our most fundamental principles in the world outside this beautiful campus,” Alito stated in his commencement address at Franciscan University of Steubenville, a Catholic college in Ohio, on Saturday.

“Support for freedom of speech is dangerously declining.”

Alito, one of the five conservative justices on the Supreme Court along with Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Neil Gorsuch, cautioned that campus protests are undermining the protection of speech and that colleges should lead the way in upholding constitutional freedoms for the next generation of Americans.

“Very few colleges uphold that ideal — this institution is an exception,” he told the graduates, “but it’s a different story out there in the broader world.”

Alito encouraged the graduates to remain steadfast against those who misuse protests, including violence and riots, to impose their will on others, whether it be related to speech or religion.

“Freedom of religion is also at risk,” Alito added. “As you venture into the world, you may face pressure in a job, community, or social setting to endorse beliefs you don’t agree with or abandon your core principles.

“It will be your responsibility to stand firm.”

Alito and Thomas were initially the two conservative Supreme Court justices before former President Donald Trump appointed three more textualist justices to the court. Chief Justice John Roberts, also nominated by a Republican president, has been noted for taking a more moderate stance in his votes, writings, and rulings. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and President Joe Biden’s nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson represent the liberal voices on the bench.