I am returning today after speaking at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs about my book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.” Last night, I was approached by a student named Andrew who asked whether he should just remain quiet at his college, where professors routinely slam conservatives and teach highly ideological views as gospel. I went on a walk this morning around dawn and spotted this swan. I immediately thought of the young man who came up to me after my talk.
Andrew, when you find yourself surrounded by ducks, don’t try to be a duck.
There are three simple reasons. First, you will make a uniquely poor duck, and the flight South will be exhausting. Second, none of the other ducks are likely to believe that you are really a duck. Finally, and most importantly, you are not a migratory bird. You only go through this life once and either live it on your own terms or live an inauthentic life.
We have discussed how the current orthodox and intolerant environment in higher education has resulted in a culture of self-censorship. (here, here, here, and here). Surveys show conservative students are 300 times more likely to self-censor. Even the largely liberal faculty at leading schools report self-censoring to avoid being targeted.
This year, Harvard found itself in a familiar spot on the annual ranking of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE): dead last among 251 universities and colleges.
What is most striking is the fact that Harvard has created this hostile environment while maintaining an overwhelmingly liberal student body and faculty. Only 9 percent of the class identified as conservative or very conservative.
Yet, even liberals feel stifled at Harvard. Only 41 percent of liberal students reported being comfortable discussing controversial topics, and only 25 percent of moderates and 17 percent of conservatives felt comfortable in doing so.
During the Harvard debate, I raised the gradual reduction of conservatives and libertarians in the student body and the faculty.
The Harvard Crimson has documented how the school’s departments have virtually eliminated Republicans. In one study of multiple departments last year, they found that more than 75 percent of the faculty self-identified as “liberal” or “very liberal.”
Only 5 percent identified as “conservative,” and only 0.4% as “very conservative.”
According to Gallup, the U.S. population is roughly equally divided among conservatives (36%), moderates (35%), and liberals (26%).
So Harvard has three times the number of liberals as the nation at large, and less than three percent identify as “conservative” rather than 35 percent nationally.
Among law school faculty who donated more than $200 to a political party, 91 percent of the Harvard faculty gave to Democrats.
While Professor Kennedy dismissed the notion that Harvard should look more like America, the problem is that it does not even look like Massachusetts. Even as one of the most liberal states in the country, roughly one-third of the voters still identify as Republican.
The student body shows the same selection bias. Harvard Crimson previously found that only 7 percent of incoming students identified as conservative, but the latest survey shows that number at 9 percent.
Some faculty members are wringing their hands over this continued hostile environment. However, the faculty as a whole is unwilling to restore free speech and intellectual diversity by adding conservative and libertarian faculty members and sponsoring events that reflect a broad array of viewpoints.
Given my respect for Professor Kennedy, I was surprised that he dismissed the sharp rise in students saying that they did not feel comfortable speaking in classes. Referring to them as “conservative snowflakes,” he insisted that they had to have the courage of their convictions.
This ignores the fact that they depend upon professors for recommendations, and challenging the school’s orthodoxy can threaten their standing. Moreover, a recent survey shows that even liberal students feel chilled in the environment created by Harvard faculty and administrators.
In other words, these are ducks surrounded by ducks who are still afraid of quacking out of turn.
Even a mute swan is actually not mute and are known to trumpet when other animals (including humans) threaten their nests or cygnets.
In other words, Andrew, if you are a swan, be a swan.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
“Last night, I was approached by a student named Andrew who asked whether he should just remain quiet at his college, where professors routinely slam conservatives and teach highly ideological views as gospel. I went on a walk this morning around dawn and spotted this swan. I immediately thought of the young man who came up to me after my talk.”
**********************************
My advice would be slightly different: Get yourself a new pond. You can’t put lipstick on the liberal pig. It never works. Winning is defined as acting in your future interests not tilting at hopeless windmills. It’s not cowardice to forge a successful path.
Andrew is undoubtedly a student at Colorado College, an island of liberalism in the otherwise conservative sea of El Paso County (and Colorado Springs)
I love your advice, Professor!
this column is bull! I used to respect Professor Turley, but he has taken the Ayn Rand Kool Aid it seems. Why don’t conservatives have a spine instead of being such snowflakes, afraid of other ideas? There are plenty of them who are Harvard grads and one of them Sen Cruz even ran for President. sort of disproves lack of free speech. Too bad Turley thinks it is great for the White House to deny press passes to the AP. THAT IS GOVERNMENT CRUSHING FREE SPEECH, AND FORCING news media to tow the government propaganda line. Save you breathe for those too stupid even to know better.
t
Wow. And you had nothing better to do than to do at 2:00 in the morning but to search and read Jonathan Turley’s column?
A swan success story:
18 years ago, only one Duke student went on mainstream media to defend the Duke lacrosse players His name was Stephen Miller.
Today he is the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump White House
And Mr. Miller was correct. We need more folks like that-not afraid.
As pointed out below, new German Chancellor Merz said,
““My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA,” Merz said. “I never thought I would have to say something like this on a television program. But after Donald Trump’s statements last week, it is clear that the Americans, at least this administration, are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe.”
Merz even went so far as to say that the United States under Trump was essentially on the same side as Russia when it comes to geopolitical affairs.
“”I have absolutely no illusions about what is happening from America,” he said. “Just look at the recent interventions in the German election campaign by Mr. Elon Musk — that is a unique event. The interventions from Washington were no less dramatic and drastic and ultimately outrageous than the interventions we have seen from Moscow.”
My question is, is this anti-Trump?
I say not necessarily. Merz is right that the United States is more indifferent to Europe. More and more of us are tired of paying for NATO, while Europe sits back and lets itself get invaded, restricts individual rights and freeloads. All in the face of Russia, which is having problems defeating Ukraine. Merz is right, and I hope he does put Germany first. And Europe first.
i’ve been to Europe many times and found that I got treated vastly differently depending on the language that I used. If I spoke English I was ignored or worse I receive poor treatment: sneers, eye rolls, condescension. If I spoke in Spanish, Italian, or French, I got treated like a prince depending on the country. That Europeans in general dislike Americans is nothing new. The tables have turned and now Americans have grown tired of Europeans. C’est dommage 🖕🏾
I moved to Europe as a teen in 1975. I was treated well for the most part because I tried to speak a few words of every country I traveled. There were few Italians, especially in the small villages, who spoke excellent English. Consequently, it was necessary to learn the language.
Now, the youth and young professionals speak English and numerous other languages.
The difference over 50 years is the deluge of travelers and the crush of immigrants. I do not enjoy spending much time in large cities. The small towns are still enjoyable.
The first duty of the American President is to the citizens of the United States. The EU is a globalist wet dream that has driven America to the brink of nuclear war and to insolvency. Fuggem
I do not consider the EU to be the separate countries of Europe. The citizens of the European countries had no say in becoming the EU.
The US is indifferent to the EU.
lots of unemployed swans who refused the Democrat fascist way! Remember when they fired the Head of Netscape for being against gay marriage?
This is true. I live in MA, have worked at Harvard, my job now is at a small biotech where die is core “value”. I would never voice my opinions at work or Harvard. First, it would be career ending in MA. Second, you are not going to convince anyone of anything other than you are a racist, misogynist, etc. Third, you will become dumber by engaging people whose only argument is name calling. If Andrew is in MA, keep quiet.
First they came for my neighbor…
Never cower to these Marxists, if they persecute you, slander you, marginalize you, seek legal counsel and sue them. Civil rights aren’t just for minorities anymore.
You can fight it, or you can leave fighting will have almost no effect. I am choosing to leave
Seems to have worked on MSNBC and those hags from the View. For our freedom and liberty to be lost, it only requires for good men to remain silent.
You have opted for the practical approach, which is smart. But, you get to vote and there you let it all hang out.
Perhaps there is a guide out there, for how to use subtle tactics to change minds? Like if somebody suffers from Woke consequences, like maybe the Starbucks near your office closes because of crime, say, “That is probably for the best – high-priced coffee is a form of white privilege”, or something like that.
Or if an office chick breaks up with her boyfriend, say, “You probably dodged a toxic male bullet!”
I truly wonder if there is a book or something with those kind of “rub it in” tactics, or “kill them with kindness”???
What is to stop a student from prefacing their remarks in class,
“I will not be comfortable speaking candidly until first I receive assurances from the Professor and his grading assistants that what I contribute to the discussion will never be cause for grading retaliation. Do I have that assurance? Do we have that level of trust here? In this course, is intellectual risk-taking that goes against the grain going to be rewarded or punished? What does that imply about keeping our social instincts in check when hearing something we don’t like or agree with immediately? Are those in a position of power going to act as neutral moderators?”
Start with this discussion. It could consume the entire class hour, but it would be the most important digression of the entire semester.
“I will not be comfortable speaking candidly until first I receive assurances . . .”
As effective as the frog receiving assurances from the scorpion that it will not sting.
For a while, even Rome accepted as a given that the authoritarian force of the emperor created peace and freedom for all.
Res ipsa loquitur is always excellent — but I especially love your swan. Thank you!
Patel and Bongino atop the FBI is a huge win for the American people, and a major loss for the commie bloodsuckers in our midst. They will say “Hitler! Hitler!” but nobody believes them or takes them seriously.
If the the new sheriff in town refrains from counter-lawfare, they’ll be successful. If they can’t discipline their impulses for retribution, the downward slide into political anarchy will only accelerate. It all hinges on a return to blind justice, the same rules for everyone, and disgust for the double-standard based on loyalty to the President.
If prosecution of the conspirators that persecuted American citizens, aided an invasion of our country, stole billions of taxpayer dollars, interfered in free elections, colluded to selectively enforce our laws and more equates to counter-lawfare; then I say fry their asses! Go along get along has gotten us a $37T dollar debt, the precipice of WW3, $6/doz eggs, $4gallon gas that is produced out of oil from federally owned land(ours) and a bunch of emotionally damaged people running our government. Fuggem
It’s been said that if Trump had prevailed in the 2020 election, millions of us ordinary citizens would not have gotten the chance to see what the left wing of the democrat party would do if unimpeded — we got to see it, and am grateful they weren’t allowed to install Harris as the 47th president of this country —
Bravo — but I really will miss hearing Dan on the radio —
Not sure who suggested a country of priests would be hell on earth but elite universities seem to have proven the sentiment. From the endless scouring of the past to punish (cancel) those who do not believe (woke) hard enough, to proscribed prayer (land acknowledgements) and expressing devotion (diversity statements).
That anyone dissents, ever, in such an environment is the true miracle.
Meanwhile, Dictator Zelensky says, “Yo, that $360 billion you gave me? That was a gift dude, so suck it, you no get nothin’ back from me.”
This is the a’h0le the military-industrial complex members and sympathizers on this blog love so much.
You can give him your own personal funds. We didn’t asked to be mugged by the evil Biden administration and have all our money stolen and sent off to some foreign war half way around the world that could have been avoided by a promise never to let Ukraine be a member of NATO, while there was no money spent to secure our own borders.
Why did the “Joe Biden” administration decide war was better than peace? It was playing games at the expense of hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of ruined lives. Biden supporters cannot credibly compare Trump to Hitler, when Biden’s shadowy cabal was the war-mongers, the monsters, whereas Trump has always preferred peace.
In the final weeks before Russia troops crossed the border, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: “Sergei, tell me what it is you’re really trying to do. Was this really about the security concerns Russia had raised again and again about Nato’s encroachment… or was it about Putin’s almost theological belief that Ukraine was part of Mother Russia?”
Lavrov reportedly walked away. Days before the war started, Vice President Kamala Harris reaffirmed the U.S. position at the Munich Security Conference: “The founding principles of NATO is [sic] that each country must have the ability, unimpaired, unimpeded, to determine their own future both in terms of their form of government and whether they desire to be a member of NATO. And isn’t that at the heart of the very issue we’re presented with [regarding] Ukraine?”
The NATO question came to the fore a final time after the war had been under way for a month. Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennet, trusted by both sides, served as Putin and Zelensky’s go-between and developed the outline of a ceasefire. Putin dropped his demand for the “disarmament of Ukraine”; Zelensky agreed to drop plans to join NATO. Substantive talks between diplomats from the two countries continued in late March in Belarus and Istanbul: Russia would withdraw from eastern Ukraine; Ukraine would recognize Russia’s possession of Crimea; Ukraine would drop its NATO aspiration and seek security guarantees from individual Western countries.
Zelensky’s advisor, David Arakhamia, later commented, “They were prepared to end the war if we agreed to, as Finland once did, neutrality and committed that we would not join NATO. In fact this was the key point.” The Istanbul negotiations even produced a draft agreement. Zelensky’s aide, Alexey Arestovich, described the negotiations as completely successful: “We opened the champagne bottle.”
But Washington would have none of it. Bennet later explained, “The Americans decided to crush Putin rather than to negotiate.” Shortly thereafter Boris Johnson showed up in Kiev with promises of more weapons and a message from Biden. Horton cites a Ukrainian paper, Ukrainska Pravda: “Putin should be pressured, not negotiated with…. The collective West now felt…that Putin was not really as powerful as previously imagined, and there was a chance to ‘press’ him.”
Following orders, Ukraine abruptly broke off the talks. There are not good sources yet about this American push to throttle an early ceasefire, or, given what we know now about Biden’s condition, who was responsible for it. But Washington decided continuing the war was preferable to a Finlandized Ukraine.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-first-draft-of-the-ukraine-wars-history/
Now, now, Anonymous, it wasn’t all warmongering. Ukraine also had a money laundering operation for the Democrats, so give the Big Guy some credit: greed and corruption played a part as well.
If you believe that lie from Putin that he would not have invaded Ukraine except for concerns they would join NATO, he’s already halfway to obtaining what he wants. Sometimes you don’t even need your own apparatchiks to Speak Their Putin Truths about Ukraine and NATO.
Need a laugh to end the day?
Imagine Denmark, Holland, Finland, Canada, etc signing up as NATO members to send their land forces to fight and die while taking part in a land invasion of Russia starting in Ukraine!
But how about this instead of giving Ukraine our personal funds:
We end it this way: We give Ukraine the American equivalent of the monetary value of the two thousand nuclear warheads and the aircraft and missile systems that served as the delivery systems for those weapons. The deterrent weapons Ukraine’s previous government gave up and surrendered in exchange for our American lies that our military would be their deterrent and defense if only they would give up those weapons that it terrified us for them to have.
Would that come to more or less than $360 billion, figuring in the change in the value of the dollar over the 40 years since then?
Wouldn’t compensate them for the lives, territory, and economic loss of a war that could have been prevented if Putin had known that America would keep our promise to Ukraine.
But hey… then we could at least try to claim the moral high ground despite the broken promises to an ally who was fighting beside us each time we allowed them to be invaded.
Why do you disparage Zelinsky defending his country from foreign attack? If it were your own country, wouldn’t you rise to defend it?
If your moral stance about comparing these two transgressions is “I don’t care about Ukraine”, why not just say so?
Then, it might begin to dawn on you how, when Al Qaeda attacked the U.S, on 9/11, all kinds of nations (including Russia) expressed solidarity with America, denounced the attackers as evil, and joined militarily in trouncing Al Qaeda and their hosts in Afghanistan.
How is the world responding to the “I don’t care” subtext of Trump’s posture? Very simple. They are reciprocating.
Whatever they liked about the U.S. before, they’re beginning to question why we deserve any adoration or support.
There’s a thin line between “I didn’t come here to make friends” and “I don’t care if I make enemies”. That line was crossed in public last week. Only a fool doesn’t care that America’s image as a beacon of moral courage was slammed. Because trust takes a long time to build, and can be crushed in an instant through carelessness.
That’s the impact of saying in so many words, “I don’t care”.
OMK
I predict he won’t be around long
You are a delusional parrot with Alzheimer’s disease.
Jonathan: some terrible Breaking News that I hate to share with you. Breaking news that has my anus puckering and blinking like I’m sending semaphore messages: TRUMP HAS APPOINTED THAT NAZI POLICE STATE FASCIST DAN BONGINO TO BE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FBI!!!!
A know-nothing Secret Service agent from the Clinton, Bush, and Obama personal protection details, straight to being a paid liar for Republicans and Fox about the Russia Dossier and the FBI Directors and agents who courageously investigated Trump for Russian collusion!
Dan Bongino Named Deputy Director of the FBI
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/politics/3275347-dan-bongino-named-deputy-director-of-the-fbi
Our version of Hitler now has his cabinet complete with Bongino now to play the part of Heinrich Müller, as DJT ramps up hunting those on his enemies list with his American version of the Gestapo.
The only good news in this is that Bongino will no longer be able to lie about the FBI, their agents, and Democrats on his radical extreme right wing podcast while in that office.
Your column tomorrow MUST be about this.
Don’t you people get tired of crying “Hitler! Hitler! Hitler!”? Nobody takes you seriously.
Have you ever wondered why Hitler? Why not Mao! Mao! Mao!? After all, he killed more people.
Stalin too. But they were communists so their murder of hundreds of millions of people was A-OK with our friends on the left.
Bingo!
You’ve obviously never read those books of lies that neo-Nazi Dan Bongino wrote about the FBI and the damning Russia Dossier that proved Trump colluded with Putin to steal the election from Clinton.
Spygate: The Attempted Sabotage of Donald J. Trump
https://www.amazon.com/Spygate-Attempted-Sabotage-Donald-Trump/dp/1642930989
Exonerated: The Failed Takedown of President Donald Trump by the Swamp
https://www.amazon.com/Exonerated-Failed-Takedown-President-Donald/dp/1642933414
Ah, the old Russia-Trump collusion hoax. You’re a real card.
And can you provide any reliable evidence that Bongino is a neo-Nazi? If not then your credibility is kaput.
Easy now, he has a spasmodic anus, we don’t need any accidents.
If they are ok with Hitler, why should they?