The Freedom Not To Associate, In Light of Charlottesville

If the private market decides to flee racism and terrorism, everyone will be better off.

In the last week, America has been saddened by the outpouring of violence in Charlottesville and Boston. When these winds of clashing protest whip up, innocent people are caught in the middle, communities are broken, and local businesses are left in shambles.

In the wake of these events, nearly everyone agrees that racism, rioting, and politically-charged violence are evils that should be extinguished. Well and good. But this agreement must lead to action to have any lasting effect on our society.

Businesses and other private organizations may wonder how they can discourage the hateful actions that led to these horrible protests. True, several CEOs have abandoned the councils advising President Trump after his belated response to Charlottesville, but those maneuvers were more a PR stunt than an attempt at problem-solving.

If private institutions really want to put a dent in ideologies that preach violence and terror, they should exercise their right to refuse association with those who peddle them.

Private organizations have long possessed First Amendment rights under the Constitution. The Supreme Court has notably reaffirmed this principle twice in the past decade. These freedoms are due, at least in part, to the private status of these organizations. Like any American citizen, private groups can independently choose what they want to fund and support, mostly free from legal restriction.