Just one day after President Pollack announced that Cornell had joined the nationwide free-expression initiative convened by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, I heard Cornellians say the darndest things.

I heard Cornellians saying:

America is a great country.

People should not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Everyone should be treated equally under the law.

Merit really is important.

Climate change may be due to natural causes.

There is a God.

But I am not worried, because free expression is not one of the values of the Antiracist Institute for Citizens & Scholars.

The free expression part of the free expression initiative should fade away in the wake of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. I give it a month, and then Cornellians will only say the safe, compliant, and expected things.