Free speech protests have popped up in campuses across the United States over the past few years, and everyone is getting their word about it in, even President Obama. You may or may not yet feel strongly about this. No matter where you stand, now’s the time to get yourself some context. What is “harm,” and what kinds of speech should still be protected even if they are harmful? Time to ReConsider.
Sources and Links
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Atlantic, great summary of the issue on college campuses: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/03/the-glaring-evidence-that-free-speech-is-threatened-on-campus/471825/
- Diane Feinstein + Blum → UC Campus anti-semitic speech restrictions: https://theintercept.com/2015/09/25/dianne-feinstein-husband-threaten-univ-calif-demanding-ban-excessive-israel-criticism/
- Yale: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/12/01/yale-professors-issue-open-letter-free-speech
- Open letter from Yale professors in support of Erika Christakis: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16Fa8lyQ17utjiw1LNkCoE22pvq2uRk_SVHHPmRgvpIA/edit?pli=1#heading=h.53s9msgj6b7
- Video of Yale professor getting cursed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKOEla2-wz8&feature=youtu.be&list=PLvIqJIL2kOMefn77xg6-6yrvek5kbNf3Z
- A summary of some of the protests against offensive speech: http://college.usatoday.com/2016/02/26/racism-on-college-campuses-students-on-where-we-are-now/
- Censoring speech offensive to minorities: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/20/40-of-millennials-ok-with-limiting-speech-offensive-to-minorities/
- Obama’s defense of free speech: http://college.usatoday.com/2016/05/17/voices-obamas-welcome-support-for-free-speech-on-campus/
- Video of Obama’s defense: http://www.c-span.org/video/?409584-1/president-obama-delivers-commencement-address-rutgers-university
- Poll: half of students believe they should be able to prevent media from covering protests: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/first-amendment-college-campus-millennials/477171/
Poll: restricting free speech: http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/nearly-half-of-students-are-open-to-free-speech-restrictions-on-campuses-survey-finds/110015
- JS Mill: On Liberty
- Chapter II: On the Liberty of Thought and Discussion http://www.bartleby.com/130/2.html
- NYT, “A Confession of Liberal Intolerance:” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/opinion/sunday/a-confession-of-liberal-intolerance.html?_r=1
- NYT, “Condoleeza Rice backs out of Rutgers Speech after Student Protests”: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/04/nyregion/rice-backs-out-of-rutgers-speech-after-student-protests.html
- The College Fix: “Students protest pro-free speech display at UMich:” http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/25047/
- The College Fix: “College students protest against the first amendment” http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/25086/
- Erik’s article on, among other things, University hiring bias: http://www.reconsidermedia.com/something-to-consider/the-new-norm-intellectual-intolerance-justifying-suppression-of-speech
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