Long before he commended religion and morality to the American people in his farewell address, saying, "in vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness," George Washington was a young man aspiring to virtue.
To that end, the youthful Washington studied 110 "Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior," the final of which remains the task of all of us today: "labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience."
When I read Robin Keller's saddening but unsurprising story in the Wall Street Journal, I thought of those words. Keller was a partner at the international law firm Hogan Lovells, that is, until she shared her convictions about Roe v. Wade and the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in the workplace.
On a "safe space" conference call for female employees, Keller had the courage to approve the Dobbs decision and to mourn the effect abortion has had, especially on black communities. She was immediately labeled a racist and her contracts with the firm were terminated. As Keller concluded, "If this could happen to me, anyone who expresses a disfavored opinion—even on a matter of law—can expect the same treatment: immediate cancellation without concern for client interests, due process, or fairness."
I have talked to many people over the last few years who know that something like Keller's story could happen to them. These are not just lawyers; they work in every major industry. It is a constant, continuous, and increasing theme of conversation about the state of corporate America.
It is not uncommon for me to hear that, although a person might be open about their religious identity at work, they feel they must keep their head down and be guarded about their religious convictions. It is now the norm in elite workplaces to expect employees to affirm progressive orthodoxies, and people know there will be consequences if they dissent. Everyone needs to acknowledge this reality: that increasingly there is no real freedom of conscience in America's major corporations.
But this is America. We pride ourselves on our freedom of speech and freedom of religion. No American should have to live this way, lying to the world, betraying their conscience in assent or in silence. But the H.R. regime—I use that word deliberately, because it wields instruments of political control—demands that many of our best and brightest do just that.
The commissars that fill out bloated middle management positions across the country weaponize identity to create workplaces that are toxic to excellence and hostile to certain views. Dissent on abortion, sexuality, and gender can be expected to be met with serious professional and personal consequences. But even as so many will admit that here and there the ideologues have gone too far, most have accepted this outrageous status quo. We lament, and we do nothing.
It is perhaps too much to expect most people to willingly court the possibility of being fired or professionally blackballed. We cannot expect every believer in an older faith and an older America to speak against the conversion of their country and their companies to the creed of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The solution will not be found within woke corporations, where woke dogma has the force of law behind it.
The Civil Rights Act has been long abused, tortured into the very opposite of what the American people promised themselves. Instead of a nation where our children are not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character, citizens are set against each other, grouped and judged and singled out by race and sex and religious conviction. Democrats have embraced this reversal. Republicans need to go on offense, to use the force of law to reconquer our corporate cultures, taking them back from woke H.R. and identity politics.
In the meantime, as we wait for our representatives to find the courage to fight for their convictions and the faith of their fathers, let there be competition. America's largest companies might be fully given over to enforcing each new orthodoxy but, decreasingly productive and increasingly bureaucratic, they make themselves vulnerable as they do so.
Many highly accomplished, high-performing—in a word, elite—individuals in every sort of industry across this country feel their consciences are under attack. They want out. That is an enormous pool of potential talent, which, together with like-minded investors who feel the same duty to conscience, represents an amazing opportunity for startups and established mid-sized businesses.
I know this from experience. At New Founding, my cofounder and I are connecting aligned talent and capital wherever we can. By simply becoming known for not turning radical ideology into an idol, for respecting religion and conviction, employers can find new partners—and keep alive a "little spark of celestial fire."
Matthew Peterson is the Co-Founder of New Founding Org and President of the American Firebrand PAC. He can be reached on Twitter @DocMPJ.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
