martybegan
Diamond Member
- Apr 5, 2010
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Looks like the old school Liberals are trying to reign in the beast they partially created at Berkeley.
Berkeley launches website explaining free speech, denouncing 'de facto censorship' - Hot Air
Hopefully this will get through to the little cry-bullies who are the ones using violence or the threat of violence to silence people they don't like.
Berkeley launches website explaining free speech, denouncing 'de facto censorship' - Hot Air
“Can UC Berkeley cancel a student-sponsored event if the administration or the campus community disagrees with the speaker’s views?” This seems like the kind of thing far left activists on campus might want to know. The good news is that Berkeley’s answer is unequivocal: “No, this would violate established law and the rights of student groups to invite whoever they wish to the Berkeley campus. Only student groups who invite speakers have the authority to disinvite them.”
No, freedom of speech does not give someone the right to drown out the words and speech of others; freedom of speech would mean little if the audience was able to silence anyone with whom they disagreed. Once a society starts down the path of condoning such de facto censorship, it creates the culture and conditions in which anyone’s rights of speech can be compromised.
Defending the right of free speech for those whose ideas we find offensive is not easy. It often conflicts with the values we hold as a community — tolerance, inclusion, reason and diversity. Some constitutionally protected speech attacks the very identity of particular groups of individuals in ways that are deeply hurtful. However, the right response is not the heckler’s veto, or what some call platform denial. Call toxic speech out for what it is, don’t shout it down, for in shouting it down, you collude in the narrative that universities are not open to all speech. Respond to hate speech with more speech.
Hopefully this will get through to the little cry-bullies who are the ones using violence or the threat of violence to silence people they don't like.