We have been discussing the rising intolerance on our campuses and the repeated cancelling of events by shouting down or obstructing speakers. The latest such example comes from Virginia Commonwealth University where pro-choice students obstructed a pro-life event.
Students for Life at VCU invited Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins to speak at their event. The event called “Lies Pro-Choicers Believe” resulted in pandemonium and reportedly arrests for assault and disorderly conduct. The video shows the usual elements of students on the left calling opposing speakers “fascists” and “deplatforming” by shouting them down by yelling “fascists go home,” “Nazis go home” and “f**k pro-lifers.”
The pro-life group posted videotapes and claimed that Antifa protesters were part of the violent protest.
I testified in the Senate on Antifa and the growing anti-free speech movement in the United States. I specifically disagreed with the statement of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler that Antifa (and its involvement in violent protests) is a “myth.”
It is at its base a movement at war with free speech, defining the right itself as a tool of oppression. It is laid out in Rutgers Professor Mark Bray’s “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook” in which he emphasizes the struggle of the movement against free speech: “At the heart of the anti-fascist outlook is a rejection of the classical liberal phrase that says, ‘I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.’”
Bray quotes one Antifa member as summing up their approach to free speech as a “nonargument . . . you have the right to speak but you also have the right to be shut up.”
Michael Porter, a spokesperson for VCU, said the university was “disappointed” and added that “VCU is committed to promoting a safe environment for our students, faculty, staff and visitors so that the right to gather and speak freely is protected.” The question, however, is whether the university will hold any of these students accountable. Many are shown on videotape disrupting the event.
Many on the left insist that silencing others is an act of free speech.
When Professor Josh Blackman was stopped from speaking about “the importance of free speech” at CUNY law school, CUNY Law Dean Mary Lu Bilek insisted that disrupting the speech on free speech was free speech. (Bilek later cancelled herself after using a controversial term in a meeting and resigned). At the University of California, Santa Barbara, professors actually rallied around a professor who physically assaulted pro-life advocates and tore down their display.
There is obviously a difference between protesting outside of an event (which is clearly protected) and disrupting an event by shouting down speakers. Most schools expressly bar such disruptions, but few hold students accountable when they prevent others from speaking. A recent example can be found at Stanford Law School where the Law Dean denounced the cancelling of a federal appellate judge, but then said that no students would be sanctioned for their actions.
Until there are real consequences from universities, the anti-free speech movement on our campuses will continue unabated.
Fascists go home.
Wait, so they’re telling themselves to go home?
Sadly and ironically, intolerance breeds intolerance. Jesus said to the extent you do to others so it will be handed out to you. Scripture also says before one’s own master he stands or falls, stop judging and let each one be convinced in his own mind. Christian Prolifers not only are trying to intercede, not for Christ’s sake who alone is Lord and Savior and master, but rather to boast in their own self-righteousness because their faith that Jesus can “save all that was lost” is weak if not altogether non-existent. Christian Prolifers, like those who delivered Jesus up to the state, have turned to the states to enact punishments upon those whom they judge as unworthy of Christ’s love. In so doing, they crucify the Christ all over again. They do not enter the kingdom of god, refusing to wait on Him, like those whom Jesus said they would say “my master is delaying” and start to eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, showing deeds that prove false to their power. The Word of God says, “no man can be declared righteous by law” because “law has only to do with punishments.” The only power laws have is owing to public fear of punishment. That is why it is incapable of salvation. Seekers of Law and punishment actually deny in that action that Christ Jesus’ shed blood brought forth a new covenant between God and mankind based on the forgiveness of all sin. According to 2nd Corinthians 5, believers were handed down just one message, that of reconciliation between God & men through Jesus Christ. Prolifers have done more in their own judgments to turn others away from the Christ, killing his message and his Spirit. Jesus said as recorded in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit that is life-giving, the flesh is of no use at all.” He added, “But their are some of you who don’t believe.” Prolifers have rejected the Spirit of compassion and mercy in favor of judgments and punishments. They are reaping what they have sown. They oppressed others and, like Jesus said, it’s coming back upon them. Nothing good or positive or faithful to our Lord and Christ was accomplished by what these pro-lifers did. Their pride in their faithless pursuits will also be their downfall.
The Pro-Choice ethical religion denies the dignity and agency of women and men, endangers the lives of women and girls, and denies the life of a baby… fetal-baby for the sake of social, redistributive, clinical, political, criminal, and fair weather progress.
Vichy U
“. . . disrupting an event by shouting down speakers. [F]ew [colleges] hold students accountable when they prevent others from speaking.” (JT)
I am in favor of a woman’s right to abortion. And I want those barbarians expelled and jailed. If you cannot listen, like a civilized adult, to opposing ideas, then you do not belong at a university.
There’s a reason that we alumni of other Virginia universities refer to VCU as “Feces U.”
Showing just how clever you are!!!
https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/1641916432697966598
Yet at our school….two suicides are chalked up to celebrate phones….while no one else has zero tolerance like this or suicides. We need lawyers. Where are you? Please? Tacky ego splc? Where? Are you all?
Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈
@MrAndyNgo
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@VCU is a hotbed of far-left violent extremism that is sanctioned by the administration. I previously reported with @MiaCathell about the student body president who used an alias to try to radicalize others to commit mass murder.
“Student body president of Virginia Commonwealth University has history of violent extremist, racist online posts”
https://thepostmillennial.com/student-body-president-of-virginia-commonwealth-university-has-history-of-violent-extremist-racist-online-posts
A far-left extremist using an online moniker to advocate for targeted killings of law enforcement has been revealed to be the student body president of Virginia Commonwealth University.
Thank you for the link. Everyone should read it and I will copy a few sentences. It is so shocking I need confirmation to prove it real though unfortunately it seems it is. I knew nothing about VCU until this op-ed and response. Does anyone know more about VCU?
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20-year-old Taylor Marie Maloney, from Charleston, SC, was championed earlier this month by the ACLU of Virginia for being the “first openly transgender and non-binary person” elected to the position. But social media posts written by the communist activist have since surfaced showing their advocacy for killing cops, rioting, looting, vandalism and hatred of white people ….
When a follower of the black nationalist Nation of Islam group rammed his car into Capitol Police, killing one of the officerson April 2, Maloney celebrated”> his death. “[L]ove this we need more of this,” Maloney wrote, responding to the breaking news from the Associated Press. …
On the day of the Derek Chauvin verdict, Maloney declaredon Twitter that they hoped he was acquitted so that rioters can “burn this b— to the ground.” …
Maloney has also made a number of racist posts on social media. “I hate white people so much its not even funny,”…
In July 2020, Maloney was arrested at a Black Lives Matter-Antifa riot in Richmond where militants started fires, smashed windows and assaulted responding police officers with rocks. …
As student body president at VCU, Maloney oversees more than 30,000 students and how funds are distributed
…
Please list appropriate disciplinary actions for the ‘protesting’ students to face for their fascist behaviors.
Perhaps:
1. Expel them.
2. If they wish to return to the school, require them to (i) pass a multiple choice test on how to comply with the principles outlined by the University of Chicago Alliance on Free Speech, (ii) write an open apology letter to everyone who was shouted down, and to the impacted audience members and to the VCU Community, and make sure the letter includes a condemnation of the shout-down behavior.
The students have to leave for the Fascists to leave.