Free speech advocates are increasingly uneasy about the response of University of Missouri to protests of racism on campus. Some of the incidents described by students are exercises of free speech. Those concerns were heightened with the videotape of a communications professor harassing and trying to get students to “muscle” out a student journalist. This concern was heightened even further by police asking students to report “hateful and/or hurtful” speech. We have been discussing the erosion of free speech on our campuses and the message seemed to invite the type of speech regulation that has been on the rise. Citizens are allowed to say “hurtful” things without being forced to answer for their exercise of free speech. Monitoring and punishing hurtful statements threatens the most basic values of free speech in our universities. For those with controversial views, the police policy must have had the same feel as Mass communications professor Melissa Click calling for a show of “muscle” to target journalists. A complaint was filed by the student journalist against Professor Click who has now resigned her position.
The university’s student conduct code prohibits harassment, which it defines as “unwelcome verbal or physical conduct” against “actual or perceived membership in a protected class … that creates a hostile environment.” This includes conduct deemed to constitute bullying, retaliation and threatening or intimidating behaviors. The vagueness of these rules raise obvious unease for free speech advocates. As a result, the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri has written to the university to raise these concerns.
I have a nephew who just started at Missouri who appears to love the school. Ironically, he went there for the school’s stellar reputation for journalism studies. If the university wants to remain a serious academic institution, it will have to examine the implications of some of these moves for free speech values that are so essential to the academic mission.
The incidents described by students include people driving around with Confederate flags on their trucks or posting or saying intolerant or threatening things. Some of these acts may indeed cross the line into threatening conduct. However, some statements are also exercises of free speech. While distasteful and “hurtful,” they are part of an open and robust dialogue in this country that has been traditionally protected through cases like New York Times v. Sullivan. If we start to prohibit “hurtful” thoughts from being expressed, a wide array of speech would be chilled in society. We have always maintained that the solution to bad speech is good speech — not speech regulation or coercion.
What do you think?
A complaint was filed by the student journalist against Professor Click who has now resigned her position.
This is misleading. She resigned her “courtesy appointment” in the College of Journalism, not her position as a professor of Mass Communications. She’s still employed by UM.
My generation in the 60’s/70’s fought for free speech and other rights on campus. This generation of namby pambys are demanding that speech be regulated and that they be protected from anything unpleasant. It’s liberals eating their own. Fun to watch. I know there is a silent majority on campuses that know this is all horseshit.
I know that I am nitpicking on the 4th btw but I still feel his intent was expressed clear in the original version against bad warrants versus the final version
JAG,
It does feel like the US has gone mad. There is very little dialogue on important issues because people in general are shouting their positions past one another and demonizing on another, at least online.
If our view of our fellow Americans is only of people’s online behaviour, then we do seem quite mad. Even if people use their real names when posting, the anonymity of the internet still provides enough of a cloak that people will say things online they would never say face to face. There is no relationship to preserve if you don’t actually know the person, so why be courteous, why be fair? Very sad.
Is the media focusing on the craziness of outliers because it sells? Does the ubiquity of the news make us wrongly perceive the craziness as endemic? I would like to think so, but on this I do feel cynical.
I enjoy online discussions, but I wonder that discussing things online to the neglect of face to face discussion has caused real damage to what passes as a national dialogue.
PS- Please note in that early version of the 4th that Madison clearly states that a warrant itself is not sufficient. It must be a VALID and JUSTIFIED warrant with actual probable cause.
drug-addicted, coke-abusing, alcoholic, and a repeated failure in the military.
Bam Bam… are you talking about George W. Bush?
Carin was AWESOME… he was a BRILLIANT man.
“The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable.” James Madison. early version of the Bill of Rights
“There is no maxim, in my opinion, which is more liable to be misapplied, and which, therefore, more needs elucidation, than the current one, that the interest of the majority is the political standard of right and wrong.”
James Madison
“Where an excess of power prevails, property of no sort is duly respected. No man is safe in his opinions, his person, his faculties, or his possessions.”
James Madison
āThe Framers [of the Constitution] knew that free speech is the friend of change and revolution. But they also knew that it is always the deadliest enemy of tyranny.ā Hugo Black
“A man has a property in his opinions and the free communication of them.”
James Madison (which btw destroys any govt argument that 3rd party communication methods are not protected by the 4th)
oh and to add to the last quote and comment. The early version of the 4th and 2nd, for those who are curious.
“The rights of the people to be secured in their persons, their houses, their papers, and their other property from all unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated by warrants issued without probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, or not particularly describing the places to be searched, or the persons or things to be seized.”
“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; a well armed, and well regulated militia being the best security of a free country: but no person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms, shall be compelled to render military service in person.”
I keep waiting for Civil Rights lawyers to use early versions of the Bill of Rights to help establish intent in order to defeat draconian government measures.
If we have “protected classes” then what in the hell does that make everyone else, unprotected?
Good explanation:
http://blog.jim.com/culture/chimp-politics-and-cromwells-puritanism/
The drug-addicted, coke-abusing, alcoholic, Carlin, was a high school drop out and a repeated failure in the military, where he, himself, enlisted. He challenges God to strike him dead in this video, as some sort of demented proof that He exists.
Looks like God complied.
Carlin, dead at 71.
Perhaps the cops should have said to report “threatening” talk. The Mizzou scandal is much ado about nothing. It is all about a little itShay on a itShayhouse wall. That is where the itShay swastica was: on a tile wall in a bathroom shower. If they would have had a Sears Roebuck Catalogue in that outhouse then the rear would have been wiped and this all would not have happened. But I am going one better. I am ordering some toilet paper with photos of Lt. Governor Kinder printed on the toilet paper and sending it to the students. Hundreds of rolls. Kinder is the RepubliCon who is running for Governor in the next election and is trying to make hay out of itShay.
Next we will have Al Sharptongue out there bringing in his looters and arsonists and you will truly have a “Ferguson Effect”.
For Jonathan Hughes:
http://youtu.be/gPOfurmrjxo
Could this be the thin end of the wedge?
The science geek
http://www.thesciencegeek.org
Delete the word “verbal” from the conduct code for a start. But that would not protect against demonstrations/assemblies/meetings etc. which are also protected by the Constitution. As you have pointed out on numerous occasions, the movement against free speech is taking hold in many countries. The Missouri event is important since it occurs in an institution that should be hyper sensible to the issue of free speech, in a country that should lead in the defense of a basic right.
No kidding.. huh, Jim….
How did a post about Missouri lead to Muslims?
I was going to come here and ask if the USA has gone mad, BUT, I now see it has… š
Jonathan Hughes, please tell me what your post has to do with āMissouri Police Tell Students To Report āHurtfulā Statementsā?
Reblogged this on Scoop Feed.
Truth hurts a Devil in a Muslim. This is what I said to one.. Lucifer is one too. Can’t you tell who is who when you read the KJV and when you read any part of the Quran? How can they both be God? God is not wrathful or jealous as we know it. The wicked get turned unto the lake of fire. The saved with God in them are in the city of God basking in the light of God. The people against Lot were like the people that drowned. The people in Sodom were religious people who went astray .This one came in to sojern and he needs be a judge. That is what the throng said regarding the one in front of lots door. Philippians 2:12King James Version (KJV)12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
This does not say terrify whoever you think you can terrorize, now does it? It means the opposite to terrorizing another.
Muslims obey a fallen angel who did not say fear not will not tell the truth teaching the followers to not tell the truth.
Lucifer was humiliated when he tried to defeat God. That is why that word is there. Lucifer is giving what he has. That is all he has. Sharia is Satanās oppressive law that governs the devils unseen prison. Jesus fulfilled the law of God in his life. Jesus did not do what that law says. Those that were against him would have been pleased to obey Sharia law. Jesus saved life. Jesus did not take life. Jesus healed hands and eyes. Jesus did not sever hands or take eyes out of the heads of people. People would have stayed away of him had that been the case. There would have been no sermon on the mount. There would have been no feeding or the multitude. Jesus would have not been allowed to be at the wedding where he turned water into grape juice. People would not have cheered him when he rode in on a donkey. The woman at the well would have been killed for being divorced five times not married to the man she was living with. Jesus would have allowed stoning of people. That is not seen. A liar will have no mercy. Why do people trust is a false angel that does not talk like an unfallen angel? The mercy is as false as that fallen angel. IF, IF, everything is conditional. The entire Quran is corrupt. The love of money. .Jesus did not teach us to love money. All of this sets the pwerson up to get the worst with people not caring having cold hearts. God does not say that in the bible about what people call Hell. 1611 King James Version of Malachi 4:3 – And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. Ashes suffer? I Know who Muhammad saw. All that I say is true. I would say nothing had what I say not be true. That Angel that Muhammad saw did not comfort him. The angels heralding the birth of Jesus said fear not. That being did not say those two words. There is Satanic reason for that. God needs to work through us. Devils see God as being outside of them. Muslims see God as being outside of them. The mind of a Muslim and the mind of a Devil are the same. The Muslims is not resisting the Devil. Muslims flog themselves when they do their form of repenting. God does not accept that. Baal worshipers did that. Pray is not a body position. It is a state of mind. Two people can be walking down the street. One can be in constant prayer with the other not praying at all. People will not be able to tell who is praying and who is not praying. Allah lies again. Prayer is a connection to the holy spirit that is life. It saves the soul. Prayer will be heightened to another level in Godās kingdom. It will be joy in the Holy Spirit. Allah will not teach prayer without ceasing. That being copies God making substitutes. There is no way that a liar will reach people to love their neighbour. The verse saying if one is saved and if one dies is paraphrased from the Talmud. The neighbour Jesus talks about as being neighbour are people that Muslims call infidels around the world. Muslims seek their own. People Jesus chastised sought their own. Jesus is against Muslims. 1 Thessalonians 5:17: 12And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 13And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 14Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 15See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 16Rejoice evermore. 17Pray without ceasing. 18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. What comes from a false angle not saying what an unfallen angel would say should be kept? Shouldnāt Sharia be tossed away?
Being dispatched to a report of hurtful statements? bah. It seems this is now the barking dog call of the 21st century–A call that no one wants to go to, but the reporting party thinks is the highest priority in the county.
I’m OK with this policy as long as I can claim the “D” my thermodynamics professor gave me on a test as hurtful.