Conservative philanthropist Rebekah Mercer penned an op-ed in Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal explaining her beliefs and how they inform her family’s extensive charitable giving.
The op-ed debunks the false “media caricature” that has emerged due to her family’s successful support of conservative and libertarian causes, including the 2016 presidential campaign of President Donald Trump and Breitbart News. Concerning the latter, she writes, “I own a minority stake in Breitbart News (where I have no editorial authority) because I believe it adds an important journalistic voice to the American conversation.” Most recently, Mercer has been the target of left-wing activists seeking to oust her from the board of trustees of the American Museum of Natural History, of which she is a major patron.
From Mercer’s op-ed in the Wall Street Journal:
Over the past 18 months, I have been the subject of intense speculation and public scrutiny, in large part because of the philanthropic investments of the Mercer Family Foundation and the political contributions made by my father and me. I don’t seek attention for myself and much prefer to keep a low profile. But my natural reluctance to speak with reporters has left me vulnerable to the media’s sensational fantasies.
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In broad strokes this is what I believe:
I believe in a kind and generous United States, where the hungry are fed, the sick are cared for, and the homeless are sheltered. All American citizens deserve equality and fairness before the law. All people should be treated with dignity and compassion. I support a United States that welcomes immigrants and refugees to apply for entry and ultimately citizenship. I reject as venomous and ignorant any discrimination based on race, gender, creed, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
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This country was founded on the principle of open discourse. Intellectual diversity and vigorous, reasoned debate have been fundamental to America’s success, making us the freest, most prosperous and most innovative society in human history. But we have lost our way. As my family and I know firsthand, America is now a society that threatens, pillories, and harms those who dare to question the status quo.
Read the rest here.