We have seen various countries carry out censorship functions for various governments, including social media countries. Now the Simpsons have been “disappeared” in an episode that acknowledged the Tiananmen Square massacre. China blocks any mention of the massacre so Disney willingly became an extension of its massive censorship bureaucracy. Continue reading “The Mouse That Rolled: Disney Censors The Simpsons in China”
Category: Free Speech
We have been discussing how faculty and students are increasingly shutting down speakers or destroying opposing memorials — in the name of free speech. The latest such example is at University of Pittsburgh where abortion activists disrupted a conference on fetal tissue research held by a pro-life group. The university is investigating but apparently no students were stopped or identified at the event by campus security despite their forcing the suspension of the event. Continue reading “University of Pittsburgh Students Disrupt Pro-Life Conference”
GoFundMe appears to have lifted its ban on fundraising for Kyle Rittenhouse . . . after he was acquitted. Of course, those funds were most needed to put on a defense and many demanded that the site cut off access to fundraising. The site yielded to the pressure and refused to allow people who believed Rittenhouse to be innocent from donating on its site. GoFundMe has been repeatedly criticized for political bias and conservative sites have objected that the site continued to allow fundraising for Black Lives Matter protesters accused of rioting. The company appears to have embraced a Red Queen policy from Alice in Wonderland: This “sentence first — verdict afterwards.”
Continue reading “Verdict First, Funds Second: GoFundMe’s Red Queen Policy on Rittenhouse”
The Aspen Institute has issued the results of its much heralded 16-person Commission on Information Disorder on how to protect the public from misinformation. The commission on disinformation and “building trust” was partially headed by Katie Couric who is still struggling with her own admission that she edited an interview to remove controversial statements by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The Aspen recommendations however are a full-throated endorsement of systems of censorship. Continue reading “Fighting “Information Disorder”: Aspen’s Orwellian Commission on Controlling Speech in America”
We have been discussing controversies over social media postings by students and faculty. The latest controversy at Duke University shows again the dangers to free speech in barring groups over such postings. A chapter of Students Supporting Israel (SSI) was approved for Duke but that approval was then rescinded by Duke Student President Chistina Wang over an Instagram response by SSI to a critic. The SSI posting was a measured and civil response to the highly critical tweet from the student. The concern is that the incident was used as a pretext for claiming a viewpoint neutral basis for barring a pro-Israel group. Continue reading “Duke Student President Blocks Pro-Israel Group Over Social Media Post”
An assistant professor at Old Dominion University is facing calls for his firing after an interview where he discussed his highly controversial views of pedophilia. Allyn Walker, who teaches sociology and criminal justice at Old Dominion University, believes that it is not immoral for adults to be sexually attracted to children. He insists that “minor-attracted persons” are wrongly stigmatized for “an attraction they didn’t ask for.” As will come to no surprise to readers on this blog, I believe that Walker’s views are protected by free speech as well as academic freedom principles.[Update: Walker is now on leave from the university].
We recently discussed a book burning organized by a school district in Canada. Now, members of the Spotsylvania County School Board have called for the burning of books with “sexually explicit” content from school libraries. There has been a disturbing rise in calls for censorship, bans, and removal of books from book stores and other forums. Book burning is the most grotesque manifestation of censorship and view intolerance.
Continue reading “Burning the “Bad Stuff”: School Board Members Call for Book Burning”
We have previously discussed how many are now claiming that the prevention of others from speaking is a form of free speech. The latest such example comes from the campus of Saint Louis University where students vandalized a pro-life memorial. What is most striking is how unconcerned the students are in their destructive conduct as they are videotaped. They clearly believe that they have the privilege to stop others from speaking because they espouse opposing viewpoints. Continue reading “St. Louis University Students Destroy Pro-Life Memorial”
We have often discussed the hypocrisy of leaders and social media companies proclaiming their faith in free speech while promoting unprecedented levels of censorship. However, the layers of hypocrisy in a story out of London is breathtaking. Gen. To Lam was shown recently on a trip to visit the grave of Karl Marx. That is hardly surprising for a Communist leader. What followed was a tad surprising. To Lam is shown eating a steak covered in 24-karat gold flakes at a restaurant owned by the social media star and restaurateur known as Salt Bae. It costs $1,150 per steak. Facebook later suspended Salt Bae’s hashtag as the scandal exploded in Vietnam. It is not the first time social media has intervened to assist foreign authoritarian or government interests. This story may prove Marx’s prediction that “history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.” Continue reading “Facebook Under Fire For Role in Covering Up Vietnamese Communist Figure Eating Gold-Encrusted Steak”
Northern Ireland’s Health Minister seems to be channeling the lyrics of Van Morrison’s song Heavy Connection: “You come into my dreams from a whisper to a scream.” Minister Robin Swann is preoccupied with Morrison’s criticism of his policies so he is now suing Morrison for defamation. The latest comments came after a concert was cancelled at the last minute. In an attack on free speech, Swann is suing Morrison for clearly political speech objecting to the actions of a public official. Continue reading “Irish Health Minister Sues Van Morrison Over Criticism of Covid Measures”
We have previously discussed the alarming rollback on free speech rights in the West, particularly in France (here and here and here and here and here and here and here). Much of this trend is tied to the expansion of hate speech and non-discrimination laws. I wrote earlier about the prosecution of famous actress Brigitte Bardot for saying in 2006 that Muslims were ruining France in a letter to then-Interior Minister (and later President) Nicolas Sarkozy. Bardot, an animal rights activist, has been repeatedly hit with such criminal complaints for criticizing different groups. Now she has again been fined for calling the the inhabitants of La Reunion “savages” for their continued sacrificing of animals in religious rituals. Continue reading “Famed Actress Brigitte Bardot Charged (Again) With Hate Speech”
There is an interesting constitutional fight brewing in Florida. I have a column out today on the “Let’s Go, Brandon” movement. Marvin Peavy is part of that movement and displayed a banner with the chant (with a pro Trump banner) from his home in Seagrove Beach, Florida. He is now facing a $50 a day fine for violating an ordinance against such banners. He has pledged to continue to fight the enforcement. The question is whether the ordinance is constitutional. Continue reading “Florida Homeowner Fined For Displaying “Let’s Go Brandon” and Pro-Trump Banners on Home”
The number of republican, conservative and libertarian faculty members have plummeted at most schools in the last twenty years. Many top law schools have only a couple conservative faculty members and we have discussed the startling increase in attacks on faculty, trustees, and students (including student publications, editors and columnists) over dissenting views on subjects ranging from critical race theory to police abuse. Nevertheless, the American Association of University Professors’ Journal of Academic Freedom is calling for papers on intolerance on campuses but only by conservatives. The call seems to be an effort to come up with a narrative to deflect from the complaints over the rising orthodoxy and intolerance on our campuses.
Continue reading “AAUP Journal Solicits Papers on Conservative Intolerance on Campuses”
Samford University has cancelled a speaking engagement for historian Jon Meacham, according to Baptist News Global. I have been critical of Meacham’s rhetoric as well as his course materials at Vanderbilt. However, the cancellation of his speech due to his support for pro-choice groups is another example of the rising intolerance on our campuses for opposing viewpoints. If Meacham’s views are opposed by many on the campus, it is more of a reason to invite him to allow for a diversity of views and values at the university. Continue reading “Speaking Event for Historian Jon Meacham Cancelled at Samford University”
At the start of this month, Christopher Newport University welcomed the award-winning journalist Sophia Nelson as a scholar-in-residence. Nelson is known as an independent and at times contrarian figure, including being a Republican who opposed Donald Trump. Now however students and faculty are calling for her to be terminated after she tweeted her opposition to the decision by DC Comics to make Superman a bisexual figure.