We have been discussing the largely successful efforts by students and faculty to prevent certain conservative speakers like Milo Yiannopoulos from being able to speak on campuses. The latest such example is University of California at Davis where protesters succeeded in preventing fellow students and faculty from hearing Yiannopoulos. There is one promising element to the story however. Unlike school administrators who have either supported or yielded to the “heckler’s veto,” Interim Chancellor Ralph Hexter denounced the effort to not only silence an opposing voice but to deny the right of others to hear that voice on campus. While the school professes “let there be light” on its seal, the school is now cloaked in a forced silence after the ignoble victory of protesters in curtailing the exercise of free speech.
Protesters blocked efforts to have Yiannopoulos and controversial pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli speak on campus. Screaming “shut it down,” the protesters threatened the safety of organizers and attendees, according to the sponsors who finally cancelled the event.
I have been a critic of the erosion of free speech values on our college and university campuses. As discussed recently, Yiannopoulous has been the target of some of the most aggressive efforts to silence certain speakers and prevent other students from hearing opposing views.
Obviously, such success in silencing opposing views only encourages others to replicate such censorship or obstruction on other campuses as was the case this month at LSU. Once schools allow students and faculty to taste the silencing of speech, the appetite becomes insatiable and we find ourselves on a slippery slope of censorship as groups and individuals cite microaggressions and discomfort from speech. As academics, we are playing with our own demise in fostering this new age of speech regulation.
That point was made by Hexter who spoke clearly and strong in favor of free speech. Here is his statement:
Dear UC Davis students, faculty, and staff:
In recent days, many members of our community have expressed deep concern over an upcoming event on campus sponsored by the Davis College Republicans, a registered UC Davis student organization. The event, scheduled for this evening, features Milo Yiannopoulos, an editor at Breitbart News known for provocative anti-leftist political and cultural commentary, and guest speaker Martin Shkreli, a controversial hedge fund founder and former pharmaceutical executive.
All of those who expressed concern referenced Mr. Yiannopoulos’s notoriety for making disrespectful and often offensive utterances directed at certain segments of our society, or global society, and for denigrating ideas with which he disagrees. They view the beliefs and statements in question, along with similar ones attributed to Mr. Shkreli, as being in sharp conflict with the type of institutional environment that UC Davis is committed to supporting—one that is inclusive and respectful to people of all backgrounds, and dedicated to the pursuit of deeper understanding through the free and civil exchange of ideas.
Because I believe that many of you have similar concerns, let me clarify the position of UC Davis administration on this event.
We affirm the right of our students—in this instance, the Davis College Republicans—to invite speakers to our campus. Any public university must do everything it can to make sure that all members of its community are free to express their views—both because free expression is a right guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution and enshrined in University of California policy, and because it is an essential ingredient of excellence in higher-education teaching and research.
Indeed, our position on objectionable speech in general is consonant with the following statement by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on “racist, sexist and homophobic” utterances:
“Where racist, sexist and homophobic speech is concerned, the ACLU believes that more speech—not less—is the best revenge. This is particularly true at universities, whose mission is to facilitate learning through open debate and study, and to enlighten. When hate is out in the open, people can see the problem. Then they can organize effectively to counter bad attitudes, possibly change them, and forge solidarity against the forces of intolerance.”
To this, let me add my personal belief that a university is at its best, is most true to itself, and makes proper use of its unique intellectual resources when it listens to and critically engages opposing views, especially ones that many of us find upsetting or even offensive.
To ensure that a respectful and rational exchange of ideas is the strong focus of this event, we urge all involved students, faculty, and staff to participate in a manner in keeping with our UC Davis Principles of Community. To veer from this course due to intentional provocation would constitute missing an important opportunity to publicly demonstrate the character, values, and critical ability of the UC Davis community.
We hope and expect that this event will be conducted professionally and in keeping with our community values. Even so, I want to assure you that our Student Affairs office, the Davis College Republicans, campus security personnel, and others are taking all of the appropriate measures to create a safe and secure environment.
In sum, UC Davis acknowledges Mr. Yiannopoulos and Mr. Shkreli as invited guests of a registered campus student group. We appreciate the opportunity that this event provides us to hear and evaluate their views as well as to affirm our support for untrammeled freedom of expression. This does not mean, however, that we take an approving or even neutral position with respect to speech intended to express hate or to denigrate or offend others, even if that speech is employed as part of a political strategy or for the purpose of self-promotion. Such speech we unequivocally condemn. It is our sincere hope that, in Mr. Yiannopoulos’s and Mr. Shkreli’s visit to UC Davis, they will strike the right balance between frank expression and due respect.
Sincerely,
Ralph J. Hexter
Interim Chancellor
I am still a bit unclear why the speech was cancelled since there were no arrests or property damage. The police appear to contradict the claim of property damage but there are various sites reporting that Shkreli was assaulted with dog poop. According to Yiannopoulos, there were assaults and property damage. He posted the following statement:
“Left-wing thugs scared UC Davis into canceling my event last night by damaging property, hurling excrement at guests and starting fights. It was the university and campus PD who told us the event could not go ahead. Why is the university and its police force trying to pretend otherwise? Who are they trying to protect?”
It is the responsibility of the university to ensure that speakers and students are not silenced by those who want to prevent others from expressing contrary views. Nevertheless, the words of Hexter are a welcomed departure from too many administrators who are complicate in the growing denial of free speech on our campuses.
Kudos: Joseph Piazza
When I went to school — I taught my teachers that they could not teach me anything.I was very successful — they could not because I did not listen. I was the very dumbest in my class — I`m sure.I could not — did not get the meaning of how to learn.No one explained to me that knowledge was power. I learned that later.Differences of opinion strengthens ones mind — opens it to possibilities that may never occur to one otherwise — open discourse is empowering.I am troubled that we are descending into ignorance and stupidly.Jim
Differences of opinion strengthens ones mind — opens it to possibilities that may never occur to one otherwise — open discourse is empowering.I am troubled that we are descending into ignorance and stupidly.Jim
Jim,
That is a really great way of looking at things. Thanks for writing this!
When you have a president attacking civil rights figures and his Atlanta district what do you you expect?
Joe,
I expect people to have integrity.
The ‘civil rights figure’ is 76 years old and has been in Congress for 30 years. His time in Congress has been littered with incidents when he uttered howlers. Not everyone is inclined to give him another plaque. He’s had ample time to learn to put his big boy pants on and take it.
Looks like this isn’t the first inauguration John Lewis has boycotted.
“According to a Washington Post article written on January 21, 2001, Lewis and other members of the Black Caucus boycotted George W. Bush’s inauguration because they didn’t “believe Bush is the true elected president.” Lewis spent the day in his Atlanta district.”
Well, how about that….
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/443896/john-lewis-boycotted-george-w-bush-inauguration
My offspring took a GED at 15 1/2 and went to Junior college next week. First comment. “Dad! The students WANT to learn and the teachers WANT to teach!” By the end of her 18th Summer with her friends going off to their freshman year of college she had a Bachelors’
GED can be studied for alone and at home and when taken and passed breaks the chains of public education at the high school level….
Impressive…
These weenies in California do not know what tough times are.
Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We’re finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio1
Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?
Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?
Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
We’re finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.
Songwriters
Neil Young
Just saw that Neil Young is performing at the Inauguration.
No way.
Caught the sarcasm. Gotta give credit where it’s due.
In a dress
Does anyone know that you can listen to an opposing view without agreeing????
jean, Not when you’re a special snowflake. Listening to opposing views makes you melt.
Yeah! Listening to stuff you don’t agree with can cause you cognitive dissonance, to wit:
http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153559105081/a-lesson-in-cognitive-dissonance
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
There was some dork on Fox News just now speaking as if he was a legal scholar. California is bringing some lawsuit against the Trump doctrine on this or that. This guy was joyful in terming this “States Rights”. Lets use the appropriate spelling here: STATES RIGHTS!. Except, what we are really addressing here are some constitutional terms. States have Powers. The Federal Government has Powers. Individuals have Rights.
STATES RIGHTS! is invoked when the feds come in to stop a lynching and the Klan objects.
PSA!!! Public Service Announcement!
I have been meaning to tell this to everybody for a while now, but I keep getting distracted. Anyway, on this website, if you will hit the “CTRL” key, and the “N” key at the same time, a little box will appear on the right side of your screen and show you the people who responded to your comment. Just hit any place on the screen, OUTSIDE of that box, and the box will disappear.
That saves a lot of time flipping thru the comments to see if they are to you or not!
Enjoy!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
PS: I will post this several more time to let everybody know. Feel free to do the same.
The command may be browser dependent. When I hit Ctrl + N, or Ctrl + n, I get a new instance of the browser (Firefox – they keep pestering me to update too).
Mine used to open a new tab, too. Then I updated and now CTRL N shows the comment box. I am on version 47.02 of Firefox.
Plus, now it is harder to find the Version number, because you have to go to the 3 line icon (menu) and then hit the question mark (help), and then go down to “about.” I don’t know why these idiots and others think it is an “upgrade” when they change the icons or the layout. All that does is necessitate you having to learn new stuff.
Which, I am going to do when the new $100 Pinebook laptops (with a 14″ screen) come out. They are even supposed to have a cheaper one at $89 with an 11 inch screen. They are Linux based, and I figure if they are that cheap, it won’t matter if I can’t figure Linux out. But I want an alternative to the stupid Windows stuff, where they keep changing good systems that work, for flaky new stuff, that doesn’t get fixed until the new version comes out. And most of the changes don’t do anything new and different in the realm of what I actually do. Which means the upgrade is basically just paying for another version without any real improvement in anything.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/89-linux-laptop-check-out-the-new-pinebook-from-raspberry-pi-rival-pine/
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
I’m going to install a version of Linux soon on my own machine and run Windows XP as a virtual machine within it so I can keep some of the utilities I like.
Don’t use it with FireFox it pretty much shuts everything down