This Daily Caller report is all about how a large percentage of young people favor restrictions on speech deemed offensive to minorities, and while it discusses only racial minorities, there is no doubt that its findings apply to Muslims as well, and that many young people would want speech offensive to Muslims restricted as well. In 2014 I spoke at Cal Poly (video here) and took a question from an angry young woman who told me that there was a difference between “free speech” and “hate speech,” and that the latter should be restricted. This is an increasingly common idea, taken for granted by large numbers of young people who don’t realize what a sleight-of-hand it is. They think “hate speech” is an easily recognized and universally accepted category of thought, when actually it is a subjective judgment used by those who are in power to discredit and marginalize their opponents. At Cal Poly I asked the questioner who should be entrusted with the momentous responsibility of determining what is hate speech and what isn’t, and pointed out that that person would have tyrannical powers over the rest of society. That didn’t trouble her at all, and that was the problem.
And meanwhile, while college students are indoctrinated into this taste for authoritarian government, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) continues to work to compel Western governments to criminalize all criticism of Islam, which would allow jihad terror to advance unopposed and unimpeded.
“Poll: 40 Percent Of Millennials Want Speech Censored,” by Kerry Picket, Daily Caller, November 21, 2015:
A new Pew Research Center poll shows that 40 percent of American Millennials (ages 18-34) are likely to support government prevention of public statements offensive to minorities.
It should be noted that vastly different numbers resulted for older generations in the Pew poll on the issue of offensive speech and the government’s role.
Around 27 percent of Generation X’ers (ages 35-50) support such an idea, while 24 percent of Baby Boomers (ages 51-69) agree that censoring offensive speech about minorities should be a government issue. Only 12 percent of the Silent Generation (ages 70-87) thinks that government should prevent offensive speech toward minorities.
The poll comes at a time when college activists, such as the group “Black Lives Matter,” are making demands in the name of racial and ethnic equality at over 20 universities across the nation….

? says
Ore the land of the “free”….and the home of the “brave”…. No faith…in people….whatsoever…
This is the reaping 666
Kepha says
When liberty dies in the hearts of a people, no documents, constitutions, or well-crafted institutions will save it. That’s a paraphrase of Judge Learned Hand, and I’m afraid to report that Uncle Kepha agrees with that professed agnostic.
Wellington says
I agree too, Kepha. BTW, the famous speech Justice Hand gave on the matter of liberty back in 1944 did reference Jesus as a great ethical teacher. Hand, like Thomas Jefferson, did not think Jesus divine (nor do I for what it’s worth) but he, like the sage of Monticello, did admire Jesus’ ethical teachings.
BTW again, I would be interested in your take on what the great Scottish philosopher, David Hume, also very much a non-believer, had to say here. Hume observed that the only true Christian is a skeptic. I see a great deal of wisdom in this remark. After all, if one KNOWS that Christianity is the true religion, then what is the point of faith? Faith, I would contend,implies that doubt must exist somewhere in the mind.
Hope you and family are doing well. May all have a memorable and happy Thanksgiving.
Jordan Ford says
I’m embarrassed for my generation. I’ve always disagreed with hate speech but I tend to exercise my right to ignore anyone I deem a bigot. I don’t think they should be praised nor do I believe that they should be censored.
Angemon says
This is a chilling trend. People who witnessed the struggle for civil rights are mostly against government ruling speech while those who were born with the perks their forefathers fought for are simply willingly waving them away.
خَليفة says
I wonder how many of those millennials feel the “death to pigs” chants by the “black lives matter” movement is hate speech? ( in case you don’t know “pigs” is a slang for police )
I have wondered about the millennials need to put there mark on society / history – there is no new land to discover, there is already so much scientific knowledge in practically all fields that it would take decades to learn it all, so the prospect in any field to make a name for ones self is very small. Movies, only a few actors stand out among all the others. Speaking of movies, is it just me or has the overall industry traded bling for substance? Remakes and reinterpretations of old movies – i.e. Not many great new ideas. And the ideas with potential are not well thought out.
there are few ways to place your mark in history these days – terrorism and social re-engineering seem to be the favorites – they gets the most attention.
But, like soviet era social engineering – any endeavor that does not acknowledge and speak the truth will go the way of the dodo bird.
These millennials seem to be the “look what I can do” or the “see how smart I am” generation.
Jaladhi says
Millennials have been so much brain washed with political correctness from primary schools to universities, and by the NYTimes like media, political leaders that they don’t even know what the First amendment really means! No wonder they want free speech censored??
Shane says
In most European countries, the people no longer have freedom of speech to criticize Muslims, Islam, or any other minority group. It is so bad in Sweden that Sweden is now a liberal fascist society committing suicide by bringing in more Muslim holy warriors. Sweden will be an Islamic Republic in less than 50 years. Bye, bye, liberalism and feminism in Sweden!
Paul says
‘Progressive’ students are a huge problem. Islamists must love
these zombified morons. They are ripe for plucking.
This is a snapshot of what we’re dealing with :
wildjew says
This is why I worry about the future of this country. I talk to these young people daily on left-leaning news sites. Several of these sites have banned me for discussing Islam, Israel, etc. They are all for banning “hate speech” against Islam but have no problem with anti-Semitism and borderline anti-Semitism disguised as anti-Zionism.
pdxnag says
Censor yourself first. Talk to The Hand in a selfie in the mirror.
Baucent says
The problem with the wide eyed youth is they weren’t around during the “bad old days” that older people remember. They don’t remember the Cold War and communism across Europe and Asia and Nazi Germany. They don’t remember the stories of people locked away in Gulags or dying in the Killing Fields all because they dared to disagree with the State or where regarded as vermin to be exterminated in a “Final Solution”. These younger ones know nothing of freedom lost and the price paid by many to regain it. They are ignorant and lack wisdom.
Edwin1683 says
Baucent, you are so right. And the further we get from the “bad old days”, the more critical it is that society teach its youth about the value of free speech. Tragically, our educational institutions are teaching the opposite and the chickens are inexorably coming home to roost in the attitudes of the upcoming generation(s). Because the West was not vigilant, at some point the lessons of freedom are going to have to be relearned the hard way.
Jay Boo says
The Prince of Persia
That is a cool title for a Hollywood movie.
In the Bible The Prince of Persia is a fallen angel and no friend of the Jews
In Hollywood anything to do with Persia must not be a bad thing.
john spielman says
I always wonder what will happen to these “millennials ” if islam and sharia law takes over; what about homosexual rights, what about women’s rights, what about blacks rights( muhammed called them raisins and muslims where the greatest enslavers of history, what about about socialist/communist rights?
Mo says
@ john spielman
“I always wonder what will happen to these “millennials ” if islam and sharia law takes over; what about homosexual rights, what about women’s rights, what about blacks rights( muhammed called them raisins and muslims where the greatest enslavers of history, what about about socialist/communist rights?”
To be honest, I just can’t work up the energy to care! People like these are so hate filled and downright ugly that it’s hard to have any sympathy. We’ve tried to reason with them, tried to warn them. They’ve screamed us down again and again, while at the same time defending the very ideology that wants them dead!
We tried to warn you. Good luck with that. It’s what you wanted.
Mark Rosenthal says
NUTS!
One millennial says
In fact, antijihadists could benefit from the situation by showing millennials that Islam is full of racist hate speech.
gravenimage says
Unfortunately, all too many believe that it is only “hate speech” if it comes from the West–and that no matter how murderous any other creed is, that it (somehow) does not count.
Mo says
They want speech censored – except their own, where they can call anyone they don’t like a racist, bigot, Islamophobe, homophobe and all the rest.
These insufferable emotional infants need to be mocked when they pull their crybully stunts like they’ve done at colleges recently, screaming about “safe spaces”.
And they need to be resisted and fought at every turn. There’s no reasoning with these creatures.They operate solely by their “feelings”. You can’t use logic and reason with people like that. All they will do is scream and cry and spew profanity and screech that you must be silenced. It’s worse than dealing with a 2 year old in the middle of a tantrum!
But they’ll learn. Muslims waging jihad don’t give a rat’s tail about their feelings and their safe spaces.
Anonymous says
I read these headlines and the first thing I did was to google to find out what is the percentage of whites in the U.S. now. Surprise, surprise, it turns out that is 62.6%.
I am not white myself, but am not so blind as to not notice that at least in the modern world, the idea of free speech is more common in western civilizations.
Kepha says
I wonder how they define “white”.
Well, old [mostly] white man that I am, I’m not so sure a a preponderance of European/Middle Eastern ancestry guarantees vigilance in favor of the First Amendment. My own suspicion is that the West’s love of free speech is ultimately a permutation on Paul’s “quench not the Spirit” (I Thes. 5:19). Along with everything else that made the West great, it’s a gift of grace, not of race.
I guess I’m just going to have to start praying for these millennials. I can’t say that I’ve been the best of parents and teacher over the years, but God is greater than my sins, or the blindness of these youngsters.
Pong says
I am also not the best of parents, but in this world to bring up 6 conservatives (universities included) makes me feel proud. I know, I cannot change the world, but I have done my small bit to make it better.
Wellington says
Ominous.
gravenimage says
Ominous indeed, Wellington. There was a great deal of silliness at university when I attended in the late ’70s and early ’80s, and we definitely saw the germs of this ugly tendency.
But most people I knew there were free-speech absolutists, and figured that bad ideas were countered by better ideas. This seems a lot longer ago than thirty-five years, at this point…
Anna says
There are posters around my suburb promoting Marxism, the word marxism spread across a colorful poster advertising a conference by social change activists. We are in deap sh@t…this generation in Australia have absolutely no idea what Marxism means…never in my life time did I think I would be experiencing such stupidity from a group of what should be a smarter generation then the previous.
dumbledoresarmy says
What is really remarkable is the fact that despite *all* the propaganda to which these young people have been subjected, sixty percent of them still *do not* want speech censored.
Sixty percent *haven’t* been brainwashed.
Interesting.
I wonder whether *those* are the ones who have spent significant time with their grandparents?
Wellington says
I admire, dda, your never ending optimism. Indeed, I applaud you for it. You regularly see the glass full rather than half empty and that is a fine recipe for happiness. Hope you and yours are doing well.
Wellington says
Sorry, dda, that should have read “half full” and not “full.”
gravenimage says
Good point, DDA–thanks for reminding us that all is not lost.
Doug says
This apparently applies to those that aren’t real bright to begin with, I used to term “negro” in casual conversation, a woman (mid to late 30’s) that overheard told me that’s not a nice term to use. I educated her with “Negro is the proper Latin term for black, you’re thinking of the other N-word, don’t be such a racist”.