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?
@justagurlinseattle
1, November 13, 2015 at 1:16 pm
“Ken,
“I glanced at that link, BUT, I could not find the videos..
are they on that page?
If not, can you post a few here for us?”
Here’s a link to one of the videos I was referring to. I’ll also try to retrieve the others.
http://dailycaller.com/2015/11/06/yale-student-shrieks-at-prof-for-denying-her-safe-space-video/
I wonder how many parents of prospective students are seriously reconsidering PAYING for and sending their students to this school.
I would also imagine that the amount of future funds raised from alumni donations are going to be dropping like a hot rock.
Idiot adult children throwing big baby temper tantrums and demanding all sorts of impossible and even illegal things. What a bunch of dopes. If I were a future employer the mere mention on your resume of having attended this school will be a big red flag and you will not be hired.
Betty,
Lots of “we” demand UM do this, that or other. Who pay tuition bill on the agenda? Shop around.
The demands at U of MO by the students: Considering the charges in I., II seems very reasonable. III is a list of demand from 1969, 46 years and they’re still not implemented! The rest seem intended to provide a safer and more inclusive environment for everyone.
i. We demand that the University of Missouri System President, Tim Wolfe, writes a handwritten apology APOLOGY to the Concerned Student 1-9-5-0 demonstrators and holds a press conference in the Mizzou Student Center reading the letter. In the letter and at the press conference, Tim Wolfe must acknowledge his white male privilege, recognize that systems of oppression exist and provide commitment to fulfilling Concerned Student 1-9-5-0 DEMANDS. We want Tim Wolfe to admit to his gross negligence, allowing his driver to hit one of the demonstrators, consenting to the physical violence of bystanders, and lastly refusing to intervene when Columbia Police Department used excessive force with demonstrators.
II. We demand the immediate removal of Tim Wolfe as UM system president. After his removal a new amendment to UM system policies must be established to have all future UM system president and Chancellor positions be selected by a collective of students, staff, and faculty of diverse backgrounds.
III. We demand that the University of Missouri meets the Legion of Black Collegians’ demands that were presented in 1969 for the betterment of the black community.
IV. We demand that the University of Missouri creates and enforces comprehensive racial awareness and inclusion curriculum throughout all campus departments and units, mandatory for all students, faculty, staff, and administration. This curriculum must be vetted, maintained, and overseen by a board comprised of students, staff, and faculty of color.
V. We demand that by the academic year 2017-2018, the University of Missouri increases the percentage of black faculty and staff campus-wide to 10%.
VI. We demand that the University of Missouri composes a strategic 10 year plan by May 1, 2016 that will increase retention rates for marginalized students, sustain diversity curriculum and training, and promote a more safe and inclusive campus.
VII. We demand that the University of Missouri increases funding and resources for the University of Missouri Counseling Center for the purpose of hiring additional mental health professionals — particularly those of color, boosting mental health outreach and programming across campus, increasing campus-wide awareness and visibility of the counseling center, and reducing lengthy wait times for prospective clients.
VIII. We demand that the University of Missouri increases funding, resources, and personnel for the social justices centers on campus for the purpose of hiring additional professionals, particularly those of color, boosting outreach and programming across campus, and increasing campus-wide awareness and visibility.
bettykath – at least one, if not more, of those demands, if met, will cause the school to lose it accreditation. What did the Legion of Black Collegians demand?
America ended 250 years of British slavery after 50 years of nationhood.
Awarded “reparations” must be paid by Britain.
96% of Americans did not engage in slavery. 4% of Americans owned slaves.
No one in America has experienced slavery in more than 150 years.
Freedom of thought is a God-given or natural right that precedes freedoms of speech, press, assembly, etc.
Government has no authority to determine the condition of interpersonal relationships.
Government has no authority to determine etiquette or insolence; whom citizens love or hate.
Government exists to facilitate the freedom and free enterprise of citizens.
Assault, battery, rape, stalking, mayhem, harassment, etc. are crimes.
Racism is thought.
Racism is discrimination.
Discrimination is the first step of freedom.
Affirmative action is unconstitutional institutionalized bias and nullification of the right to private property.
Forced busing, “Fair Housing,” “Anti-Discrimination,” “Civil Rights,” are unconstitutional.
Social Engineering, Central Planning and Redistribution of Wealth are unconstitutional.
Citizens may own, possess and control disposition of private property without interference by government.
Students may engage in free speech and assembly at permitted venues.
Students may not riot, incite riot, stalk, assault, harass or commit other crimes.
The Univ. of Missouri is a private business subject to market forces.
This campaign has been promoted by the highest levels.
The unconstitutional and ineligible Obama has met with Missouri protesters.
America was not made great by “multiculturalism.”
“Multiculturalism” has been deleterious to America.
The maxim in real estate is “the first offer is the best offer.”
The first offering on race by the brilliant Abraham Lincoln:
“If all earthly power were given me,” said Lincoln in a speech delivered in Peoria, Illinois, on October 16, 1854, “I should not know what to do, as to the existing institution [of slavery]. My first impulse would be to free all the slaves, and send them to Liberia, to their own native land.” “…he asked whether freed blacks should be made “politically and socially our equals?” “My own feelings will not admit of this,” he said, “and [even] if mine would, we well know that those of the great mass of white people will not … We can not, then, make them equals.”
Why do they promote, not just allow, these all white or all black fraternities on state run college campus? They subsidize them. End frats altogether. Dogpacks are one thing. A frat is a horse of a different color.
JAG,
Playing the guilt hurt, coddle, buddy boy game, is when you’re sitten at the table. You got to know when to hold them and when fold them. That’s when the deal is done!
Ken,
I glanced at that link, BUT, I could not find the videos..
are they on that page?
If not, can you post a few here for us?
@JT
“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.”
The link below is to an essay, “The Coddling of the American Mind,” and to several video clips of students demanding to be protected from various manifestations of speech.
I knew that the current state of politically correct college campus culture is deplorable, but until I read this essay and watched the accompanying videos, I hadn’t realized HOW deplorable and widespread this culture actually is:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/
Roy, Were you aware Hillary tried to join the Marines? I think she realizes no one but her lemmings believes her so she’s just going all in on lying.
Following the “logic” presented from the comment @ 11:49am, yelling “WHITE TRASH REDNECK” @ a NASCAR event should land the person in jail. Yelling, “RIGHT WING NUT JOBS” @ a Tea Party rally should not be allowed. I could go on but I think the shallowness of the aforementioned comment is obvious.
betty,
Marine DI females can be hurtful. And put you in a world of hurt. Looks like 2 black females in video going at it. Yes mam.
Calling out nigger to a group of black folks would be considered incitement to riot, and should be punished. There are other less inflammatory actions or statements that should be protected, but one has to remember that words and actions can be an intimidating or hostile act. Threatening to kill a person or group, clearly falls outside the free speech protections for example. Burning a cross in front of a house would be another act that is not protected speech. If one is a member of the university, then such slanderous and libelous behavior should be punished by the university, but I doubt that the criminal courts should be involved without crossing the line of free speech in other instances. Writing derogatory things on walls or dorm room doors, is also outside the bounds of free speech. In short, we need to use some common sense in distinguishing protected speech from incitement.
Imagine for a moment that the policies students are demanding had been in place in the past. It would be such a peaceful society. Where women and minorities knew their place and were kept from speaking out in ways that were “hurtful” or “offensive” to others.
“White privilege” was accepted and dominant dogma when I arrived here a couple years ago. It now has its rightful place on the ash heap of political dogma. Proponents of white privilege make commando comments here and then flee. The “hunger strike” kid comes from an upperclass, millionaire family who is much more privileged than poor, white, farm and Ozark kids attending Mizzou.
I guess folks here are deep in their white privilege in that they don’t understand that the environment on some of these campuses are hostile to non-whites. They don’t feel safe and are organizing for change. Consider that, although the action was started by someone who felt so strongly that he went on a hunger strike and was joined by the Black football players, the rest of the football team joined them. And then more students and faculty, many of them were not Black. The turnout suggests that there is recognition that the environment is hostile. Black students know what those of active white privilege do not: a hostile environment can quickly become unsafe and even deadly. They know the history of this country and how little their lives matter to far too many people.
Bruce, Anti-war was the theme of much of the 1960’s campus protests. But, free speech, academic freedom, and political rights were also an integral part of the foundation of those protests. Indeed, the Free Speech Movement was started @ Berkley w/ free speech and academic freedom being the causes.
I read a piece recently that reminded of the fact that the charge of book burning in Nazi Germany was led by students.
I remember the protests of the 60’s as mostly anti war.