Hi,
You might know already, but Israel Folau is raising $3 million to cover possible legal fees in his case against Rugby Australia via a public appeal on GoFundMe.
We'd encourage you to donate for the following reasons.
- This isn't about Izzy Folau, this is about free speech. If an employer can tell an employee what they can and can't say in areas of their life that have nothing to do with their employment, then we are all essentially slaves.
- $3 million spent now will ensure that many other cases don't get to this stage, and save perhaps millions of our fellow citizens from having to go to court for their rights, or buckle under to censorship because they can't afford to fight.
- If Izzy can raise $3 million it will send a strong message not just to Rugby Australia, but to Qantas, other corporate bullies, and our politicians, that many of us put a very high price on our freedom of speech.
- You have to pick your battles, and this is one where we can win because we will be able to marshall the resources to counter the bullies. But you don't get too many opportunities like this, so make the most of it. If Folau loses, the loss will be catastrophic.
We've noticed some media criticising him because he allegedly has a $7 million property portfolio. Apart from the obvious attempt to use envy to undermine his campaign, $3 million worth of legal fees would be about half his worth, and we don't know what he has borrowed, so it could be a lot more.
So he could take the easy way out and just give in, and keep all his investments, or he could fight. He doesn't need to fight, and people don't need to donate to his campaign. But if he does fight, not only does he get something from it, but so do we.
Think of it this way. For most of his professional life Folau has been paid by us, through money spent with advertisers, or ticket sales, to take the ball up against the opposing team.
Now he's in another type of game, with a different type of ball, and the most ruthless opponents he's ever played against, and he's asking us just to cover some of his costs. And then, unlike a football match, where the reward as fleeting pleasure as we watch the game, this time we will get an enduring benefit as free speech wins an important battle.
The link to his GoFundMe page is https://www.gofundme.com/israel-folau-legal-action-fund
Graham Young