The Freedom to Disagree

Support the public advocacy of the American Rights Alliance

There is a quiet kind of censorship that does not look like censorship at all. No one burns a book. No one kicks down a door. Instead, a line slowly moves. Certain questions become unaskable. Certain opinions become unsayable. People learn, without ever being told directly, that there are ideas you are expected to agree with, and that saying otherwise out loud will cost you your job, your reputation, your livelihood, or your place in polite society.

That is how a free country stops being free. Not in one dramatic moment, but one silence at a time.

The American Rights Alliance exists to break that silence.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and public advocacy sits at the center of what we do. We shine a light on First Amendment fights that powerful institutions would prefer you never hear about. We tell the stories of Americans punished for what they said, what they believed, or what they refused to say. We put names, facts, and consequences in front of the public, because the first line of defense for free expression is a public that is paying attention.

What is at stake

Free speech rarely dies by decree. It erodes. First the cost of speaking honestly goes up. Then people begin editing themselves before they ever open their mouths. Then an entire country quietly agrees to agree, not because it was persuaded, but because the price of dissent grew too high to pay. The endpoint is a place where you accept the ideas you are handed, or you are blacklisted out of the conversation entirely. No trial, no debate, just exile from the public square.

We refuse to let that become normal. Every voice we amplify, every story we surface, every injustice we expose makes it a little harder to silence the next person, and a little easier for everyone else to speak.

Advocacy backed by action

Raising attention is where we start, not where we stop. When the moment calls for it, we move from the public square into the courtroom and the corridors of power. We file amicus briefs in the cases that decide how much room Americans have to speak and dissent, up to and including the Supreme Court of the United States. We pursue pardons and clemency for people who have been punished out of proportion or singled out for their beliefs, and who deserve a second look and a fair shot at relief. And when nothing short of litigation will protect a person's rights, we go to court.

Advocacy gets the public's attention. The willingness to fight, in writing and before a judge, is what gives that advocacy teeth.

What we believe

A right you would deny the people you disagree with is not a right at all. It is a privilege, and privileges can be revoked. The freedom to question, to dissent, and to say the unpopular thing is the freedom that guards every other freedom we have.

If you believe that freedom is worth defending out loud, stand with us.

About your contribution. All contributions made through this campaign are made to American Rights Alliance, Inc., a Florida nonprofit corporation exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. No goods or services are provided in exchange for contributions. All contributions become the property of ARA upon receipt and are subject to ARA’s exclusive legal control and discretion. While ARA intends to use funds raised through this campaign for the purposes described above, ARA reserves the right to apply contributions to other cases, programs, and charitable purposes within its mission. Donor preferences expressed in donation comments, by email, or otherwise are advisory only and do not restrict or direct ARA’s use of any contribution. ARA does not own, control, or receive funds from personal fundraising campaigns conducted by individuals, and contributions to such personal campaigns are not contributions to ARA and are not tax deductible.

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Acknowledgments. ARA provides a written acknowledgment for every contribution of $250 or more. For questions about your contribution, contact ARA at info@americanrightsalliance.org.