We have been discussing the alarming erosion of free speech on our campuses and the increasingly twisted view of free speech by students calling for speech codes and regulations. At the same time, we have seen campus police denounced as being a “triggering” element on campuses (Here and here). Both trends were evident this month at the University of California at Berkeley, including the alarming published comments of a student senator, Juniper Angelica Cordova-Goff. Cordova-Goff denounced the large presence of campus police to deal with the protests as triggering while reaffirmed that free speech should not protect speakers who she views as part of a “violent conversation” like conservative Ann Coulter.
The comments appeared in a Sunday piece by the student-run publication, The Daily Californian, discussing the increased security measures to deal with protests. Prior protests led to property destruction and assaults. Cordova-Goff objected that the police’s “continued, heightened presence re-traumatizes students who come from communities with complicated relationships to the state.” She added that “I do not think campus safety must rely on the police. I think (UCPD) must be active in recognizing the trauma their presence alone brings to some students and work to limit visibility while remaining an open resource to those who choose to use it.”
It is rather difficult to accept that view with these images of prior protests by those seeking to silence conservative speakers, including the burning of a free speech sign:
Cordova-Goff’s distorted views of free speech were even more chilling. After being asked about the cancellation of the Ann Coulter speech, Cordova-Goff insisted that silencing people like Coulter is no threat to free speech because Coulter is not entitled to such protections. : “I don’t think that anyone’s free speech is being impaired. I think sometimes the free speech amendment is used as a way to frame violent conversations as a matter of free speech.”
Cordova-Goff is expressing the very type of anti-free speech rhetoric adopted by Howard Dean and others. The war on free speech appears to have produced a perfect generation of petty tyrants “mentored” in the necessity — even the moral imperative — of silencing those with whom we disagree.
I’m all for free speech, but also for avoiding the violence these speakers bring so what’s the solution?
Don,
The speakers aren’t bringing the violence. The students, paid provocateurs and community members, (also some being paid) are bringing the violence. The answer to this would involve both long term and short term actions. Long term is teaching about the importance of supporting free speech even when one disagrees with the speaker. Short term– arrests for violence.
“Long term is teaching about the importance of supporting free speech even when one disagrees with the speaker. Short term– arrests for violence.”
I am surprised that no one has pointed out that using violence to suppress a political point of view is terrorism.
I support demonstrations both for a particular political point of view and against those the demonstrator opposes.
But violence is a completely different matter and deserves to be treated as the crime that it is.
Here’s the solution:
Speakers don’t bring violence. Fascists who reject the 1st Amendment bring the violence. Coulter merely mocks liberals and it is a target rich environment.
https://twitter.com/Truthdig/status/859483865865256961
She has a lawsuit! All that money for the school and no ability to state a logical argument.
It was a stupid comment by Cordova-Goff, for sure, but the YAFers are trying to blame the school for not protecting Coulter. “The Young America’s Foundation has pulled its involvement from conservative author Ann Coulter’s upcoming speech on campus, citing a ‘lack of assurances for protections from foreseeable violence,’ according to a statement released by YAF on Tuesday.” http://www.dailycal.org/2017/04/25/young-americas-foundation-pulls-support-of-ann-coulter-event/
UC pulled campus police off from four UC campuses to have 300 present last Thursday.
http://i0.wp.com/www.dailycal.org/assets/uploads/2017/04/ucpd_joshua_jordan_file.jpg?w=900
Apparently, YAFers and many posting on this blog site expected Joint Special Operations Command to be called in to assist.
Milo, Coulter, et al are using the Ali “rope a dope” strategy w/ liberals and it is working like it did for Ali.
Does it work for pervy Milo to defend pedophilia?
this explains a lot
https://i2.s.heat.st/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/16730463_1853442734878046_6733060292249302140_n.jpg?w=300
Alice von Hildebrand once began an observation thus: “Self-centered people (they call themselves ‘sensitive’) suffer much..”. Figures in authority encourage the soi-disant sensitive instead of contenting with them and telling them the world does not revolve around their tuchus. Cretinettes like this young woman are what you get when you do that.
Neither the faculty, nor the administration, nor the cretinettes have much of a sense that they live in a world with competing and contending values and interests which in turn has institutions which mediate and adjudicate conflict. A regard for free speech would have to incorporate some understanding that other people have standing in this world, and that is something the faculty, administration, and cretinettes cannot bear to do.
(music to Here I am in Camp Granada)
They were snowflakes!
Now they’re Nazis!
Curley warned us.
Berkley swarmed us.
We are stupid. We are rotzie.
Hotsie Totsie, I smell a Nazi.
Hello mudda hello fadda here I am in Camp Granada.
They are too illogical to rise up to the mental exercise of brain usage to defend their believes. That is dogma. Faith risks ridicule and self examination.
I specifically read Berkeley city (not campus) newspapers after the melee(right) weeks back over free speech. Old school liberals actually set up ’empathy tents’ to listen to both sides. Its the misguided progressives who like to reject debate, a logical possibility of free speech.
edit/antiislamization speaker
So we change from Black Panthers to Panteras Pardo? Wow I’m deja vu-ing the 60’s otra vez. Difference is we know how to deal with nievecitas.and wimpy schools like Berkeley. Pull their funds. Shut them down. Feds have no business in eudcation anyway. Not a right granted.
I’ve had that thought, too. All of these groups have shades of our domestic terrorist groups of the 70s. I guess the difference is that this time they are being legitimized by credible institutions. I too, feel all of this smacks of fascism, and we can’t allow it to happen.
Rare to see self-immolation on video. The Left has decided to declare open war on the Constitution. We’ll see how that works out at the polls, beeotches!
Couple of commenters have mentioned this before and I think it’s the only way to deal with this problem.
Military Conscription.
AND NO COLLEGE DEFERMENTS.
It is done very successfully among some of our allies. I agree. Freedom is not free and all of us need to pay the cost. After all, if we are successful we will re-create a Nation where people really can live free.
I have worked in 18 other countries and none of them hold a candle to our way of life. Even as it stands today.
Our young college kids HAVE NO IDEA what is costs to be free.
John Austin – Everyone needs skin in the game.
Would be great, except that they are virtually useless to the military (or any other entity that needs skills and good judgment).
Debbie Barnhart – the military will give them skills and discipline.
The deserter Sgt. Beau Bergdahl was a useful idiot for Obama to release 5 Taliban top commanders from Guantanamo in a trade. Wasn’t Bergdahl finally court martialed? The Obama admin kept that story out of the press quite successfully.
I don’t think the math works if the data I’ve found is accurate. A bit over 1% of the population turns 18 years of age every year. In a country of 325 million, that’s 3.2 million people. But total employment of the military appears to be about 1.5 million people. That’s all ranks, all levels of experience.
On top of that, the military is the biggest user of high technology in the world. They no longer take people with strong backs and weak minds. Even if you have a warrior spirit and want to get into a combat arms unit like infantry, armor, special forces, etc. a high school diploma/GED and pretty high aptitude scores is required. Somewhere around 15%-20% of students fail to graduate high school. They are probably the ones who could benefit the most from the discipline and regimented lifestyle the military instills – or at least used to instill – but many can’t meet the entrance requirements.
What’s next ?
Clouds as triggering elements for rain?
Waaahhh. Make the bad wain go away!!!
The video says it all.
A little Trump in the making. No one should be comfortable with views like these. He is either totally unaware of the meaning of free speech or he is fully aware of the importance of free speech and wants it to end. He sounds like someone who views our Constitution as archaic and cumbersome. He’s not a “leftist” or a progressive. He sounds like a fascist and, dare I say it, a brown shirt ready to use violence to shut anyone up who disagrees with him and intimidate the rest.
I apologize for calling this budding facist a “he”.
It?
She is only the pointy end of the spear. Which, is a sad commentary on today’s college students.
Well, … it is encouraging to know there is a use for pointy heads.
bfm – sadly, there seem to be more and more pointy heads, thus more spearspoints.
Until now, it has mostly been academicians such as Professor Alexander Tsesis and the campus snowflakes who have called for European style hate speech laws. Howard Dean is the first major US political figure to call for the same, but he will not be the last.
Our “sacred” constitution is merely a reflection of the values of the larger society and I can assure you that within another 20 – 30 years, the judiciary will carve out exceptions to the First Amendment. Don’t worry tolerant liberals, you will eventually be able to prosecute the “alt-right” with hate speech laws.
” Don’t worry tolerant liberals, you will eventually be able to prosecute the “alt-right” with hate speech laws.”
I have doubts. If restriction of free speech become accepted and wide spread just who do you imagine will be prevented from speaking out in a public venue – rich republicans or minorities, NRA officials or feminists, BLM or Jeff Sessions?
I could go on, but I am sure the reader gets the pattern.
I hope we can find a path to protect everyone’s right to free speech and make their best case on the issues that concern them.
Don’t forget the slimy slithery Berkely George Lykoff who writes all the secular regressivess ‘agent’ manuals and is the party theoretician for George Soros. Berkely esepecially needs to be made into an object list in an ver objective manner by makinmg their mysticism world come true with disappearing money.
Typical Democrats. Typical Democratic Party behavior. Typical Liberal/Progressive behavior.
Why does anybody get surprised when Democrats do the equivalent of whomping the Good Wrestler over the head with a folding metal chair, when the referees back is turned? Heck, this new bunch of Democrats, aka the Thinking Man’s Party, don’t even wait for the referee to turn his back. If the referee tries to stop them, they’ll whomp him, too.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
https://twitter.com/cristianafarias/status/859386388416008196
This was interrupting a congressional hearing. NOT a free speech issue. People really need to understand free speech. It gives a person the right to speak, but it does not give people the right to make noises during congressional hearings.
The “whataboutery” is NOT an argument.
http://reason.com/blog/2017/05/02/woman-prosecuted-for-laughing-at-jeff-se
I hate to agree, but I do (some part of me still holds out hope for the last vestiges of common sense, I guess). I am hoping enrollment at these schools drclines to the point where all that’s left are the tyrants themselves, staring at each other and twiddling their thumbs. I suppose eventually, given their mindsets, they’d have no choice but to turn on *each other*. Pretty pathetic. I hope the rest of us move on and leave them marginalized and fading away. Any sane person can see that none of this behavior or thinking is good or useful. Pulling their funding might not be a bad idea, either.
I don’t hold out much hope. As Yeats said sooo well about 100 years ago:
The phrase most apropos:
The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Cordova-Goff’s own words are triggering. She must be silenced! Expelled! Prosecuted! Banished from Verona, immediately!