What My Grandparents’ Experiences in the Holocaust Taught Me About the First Amendment
The topic of this speech hits close to home for me. As the title suggests, my grandparents on my father’s side were Holocaust survivors. I am fortunate to have their personal records, which tell the story of their lives: from their hardships to their liberation to their life after liberation. Their stories and example have shaped me in many ways, perhaps even in ways I cannot appreciate.
I have come to realize that their stories have done more than just affect me personally. They have become part of who I am and how I view the world around me. To a certain extent, they have shaped my judging too, and why I hold so firmly to my first principles—those core beliefs that shape how I approach the law. They have also strengthened my appreciation for the First Amendment—and in particular, its role in guaranteeing a free society. Indeed, years before I ever studied the freedom of speech or the free exercise of religion in law school, I learned about them, at least abstractly, from my grandparents.
