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FIRE intern in Albany’s Times Union: ‘Sunlight, not bans, will expose anti-Semites’

Last Sunday, the Times Union published an op-ed by FIRE intern, Daniel Zahn, who urges college administrators and state legislators alike to resist attempts to curb anti-Semitism through censorship. The Times Union is central New York’s paper of record, serving the state capital of Albany and its surrounding counties.

Zahn, a rising senior at Penn State and a summer intern here at FIRE, thoughtfully argues in the op-ed that misguided attempts to censor anti-Semitic speech — such as the recent unconstitutional legislation in Florida — miss the mark.

“By broadly defining and restricting anti-Semitism,” Zahn writes, “Florida may be working to eradicate anti-Semitic speech, but it isn’t working to eradicate anti-Semitism.”

Zahn also addresses similar legislation recently proposed in New York and his personal experience with the debate surrounding anti-Semitic speech on college campuses today.

Zahn’s piece is thought-provoking and worthy of the platform the Times Union provides. We hope you will give it a full read.


Interested in becoming a FIRE summer intern? Learn more on our website.

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