“The ugliness being displayed on college campuses where protesters have become violent or threatened violence because of the conservative views of speakers would be disturbing in any context, but is especially so when it occurs on college campuses that should be havens of free speech.”
Yes. It’s long past time to drain the swamp of American academia. Public universities and colleges must cease to be indoctrination centers for the hard-Left, and ensure that dissent from the Leftist line is not censored and the dissenters brutalized, or they should receive no taxpayer funding of any kind, and required to include in all promotional literature a statement to the effect that they don’t receive any public funding because of their intolerance of all intellectual dissent. If they are private universities or colleges, they should be required to include a warning label on all their promotional literature: “Warning: this institution does not tolerate views that deviate from the mainstream Leftist line. Enroll at your own risk.”
“Editorial: Rude behavior at conservative’s speech drags UB students into bad company,” Buffalo News Editorial Board, May 5, 2017 (thanks to Rachel):
The ugliness being displayed on college campuses where protesters have become violent or threatened violence because of the conservative views of speakers would be disturbing in any context, but is especially so when it occurs on college campuses that should be havens of free speech.
Lately, student protests against conservative speakers at the University of California, Berkeley, and Middlebury College have grabbed headlines. It is disappointing that the University at Buffalo would earn a dishonorable mention.
This is America. Freedom of expression and ideas is one of this nation’s hallmarks. It sets us apart from nations where citizens risk jail or worse by speaking out.
Someone sharing conservative viewpoints on a college campus – invited to speak by a group of like-minded students – should not be shut down because the other side does not like what he or she has to say. What is more un-American than that?…
And now, UB?
Controversial speaker Robert Spencer found himself being shouted down and heckled at the podium, according to an article by News staff reporter Jay Tokasz. The topic: “Exposing Radical Islam: The Dangers of Jihad in Today’s World.”
A couple of hundred people showed up, many of them intent on making clear their opposition to Spencer’s viewpoint on Islam. Another 100 or more people were kept outside the room by university police because of fire code limits inside. This did not go over well with protesters. While the situation did not turn violent, it was rude and reflected the kind of intolerance that many protesters cite as their motivation.
Despite using a microphone during his talk, Spencer was frequently drowned out by shouts and chants to let more students inside, according to the article. Some students called him a Nazi, and others just yelled for him to shut up.
It is well within the students’ right to disagree or even to protest outside the hall. But Spencer was invited to talk. He is part of a speakers bureau organized by the national Young Americans for Freedom Foundation, and frequently speaks on college campuses at the invitation of local chapters. He was invited by the chapter that formed on the UB campus in February.
This is not unique to campus liberals….
Yes, actually, it generally is.
Irene Brekelmans says
Are these students where we have to look forward to as the future people of the USA ? And free speech?
God help us !!!
Karen says
I’m sure a Tea Partyer somewhere, at sometime, behaved badly, despite all the examples of immaculate post-rally venues. I just as sure the balance of rudeness is weighted decisively toward the coalition of campus leftist organizations. So, the author has to go back to 2009 for an example; all right, I’ll give on that one, having no idea what happened in this particular instance referenced, while gleefully pointing to the cesspits of all bad behavior and campus inspiration, the BDS movements and Occupy Wall Street. (Public defecation, anyone? Com’on don’t be so inhibited.)
Having gotten in my minor objection, I give the author, and the newspaper a lot of credit, and thanks, for the spirit of this editorial.
mortimer says
Publicly funded colleges and universities should be unfunded if they do not support the first amendment and if they fail to protect the rights of groups who lawfully and peacefully assemble to discuss various ideas. It is a given that no one agrees about every idea in a public forum.
Colleges and universities have a duty to ensure that whoever speaks on their campuses is secure and that the meetings will not be interrupted by hecklers or terrorists and the safety of the speakers and audiences are ensured.
If they fail to defend the freedom of speech on campus, then who will? I hope state governors and President Trump will make defending the freedom of speech and assembly a priority.
Wayne Martin says
There are a lot of students from NYC at this school. They bring with them the crudeness of that city. During the Vietnam War, the student protests were so violent that the school closed down for the later half of the Spring session (1969 if memory serves).
Given the spinelessness of most university administrators, it might pay for Conservatives to spend time raising funds so that they can rent off-campus venues for their events. They can then hire security to “escort” people who are disruptive out of the room–allowing the speakers to make their presentations.
Ashley says
OR…
We can expect parents to teach their children respect, civility, and decent conduct when faced with heated difference of opinion. Such schooling will serve their child well…
Disrupting a speaker is NEVER in good form. It is crass and ignorant behavior.
Nigel GFF says
Such ‘brown shirted’ behaviour, can lead, as some have said, straight to Dachau. Mr Spencer’s mental health warnings gave me a smile though. Thanks again
mgoldberg says
It is not merely the incivility of colleges, and university’s to allow lectures and discourse, but their actually working to prevent such lectures from taking place. Also, it is not merely their allowance of students to essentially violently prevent lectures and lecturers with whom they disagree but o actively support their fascist brown shirt actions and beliefs, from disrupting lectures that do manage to get scheduled.
Ashley says
A well written piece. It was refreshing to read.
I really don’t understand why the rude hecklers haven’t been disciplined by the University of Buffalo administration. An invited guest deserves courtesy.
These rude brats ruined a rare opportunity to engage and debate a brilliant mind.
A suggestion to the University of Buffalo: invite Reza Aslan to speak in the future. He will be more to your liking and you might even be treated to Reza consuming human brains.
PS: Kudos to the Young Americans for Freedom Foundation. I’m sorry your event turned into a grotesque pig-circus. Keep up the good work and don’t be discouraged!
jayell says
Was this a re-make of ‘The Blackboard Jungle’? If so, it was pretty convincing. Dr. Spencer, you have my profound sympathies. It reminds me horribly of eighteenth months I spent in THE notorious sink school of an outer London borough where the clientele came from a hell-hole of a dumping-ground for problem families because the council didn’t dare put them anywhere else. And the school was a disaster because the headteacher was convinced that ‘all children were good’ and wouldn’t do a thing when the little darlings rampaged and wrecked the joint. ‘Teaching’ was little more than riot-control.
Now, what do we have here? A UNIVERSITY, for God’s sake??? And the authorities are no doubt convinced that their students are all precious paragons of academic virtue who must be allowed to believe that they have nothing to learn from anyone who doesn’t quite fit with their adolescent extra-curricular brainwashing, and must be allowed the freedom to espress their righteous indignation at whatever offends their myopic little excuses for intellects. My lot at the sink school would probably keep the local police occupied but weren’t likely to cause much long-term social damage to the nation. What about THIS lot, though?
rick geritz says
Just wondering if CAIR is funding some of these protests
Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY) says
The editorial refers to “the national Young Americans for Freedom Foundation”. The video above is labeled with the logo of the “YOUNG AMERICA’S FOUNDATION”. What is the relationship between these two foundations?
Renee says
Seems like a group of students that does not want to be educated.
Best if they do not waste time and money and get a job, perhaps that way they learn what “respect” means.
El Cid says
Robert,
What is perplexing of course is how you are tarred as a ‘conservative’ when you are criticizing religion.
Martin says
“This is not unique to campus liberals….”
Oh, yes it is! Nice try though…
Robert says
It is a shame that the topic of Islamic terrorism cannot be fiscussed in an open and honest way. Robert Spenser demonstrates great courage and honesty. He is my hero. Thank you, sir.
Robert Fowler
mortimer says
I agree with the right of peaceful, orderly protest. HOWEVER, make your protest, then listen to the speech and then rebut it if there is a question period. Then write something for publication. Then hold your own meeting and denounce the first speaker. Then invite the first speaker to a debate.
Work with the present system using the peaceful means we have to protest and change public opinion. Censorship is fascism. These young fools used fascist methods to deplore fascism, thus showing themselves to be the real fascists.
Lia Wissing says
Remember the ‘Haymakers’ in James Michener’s ‘The Drifters’? (I think in part VII). We are very much there and America even more so.