Why will people be “riled up”? Can’t handle the truth?
This piece is so sloppily edited, it is astonishing it got published at all. But that’s “journalism” for you nowadays: not careful or accurate reporting, just Leftist agitprop.
Much, much more below.
“Conservative speaker who says Islam is ‘violent’ religion set to speak at Stanford,” KTVU, November 8, 2017:
Author Alice Walker famous for The Color Purple among other novels, spoke on the Stanford campus Wednesday night, but a politically conservative speaker is set to come to the Palo Alto university in a matter of days.
This is a strange juxtaposition. I’m not quite sure what KTVU is getting at. Am I going to undo all the good vibes Alice Walker left? That does seem to be the implication.
Already there’s a backlash against the appearance.
For some students, the so-called bubble around the campus is being buffeted by the discord of our time. The battle to balance out free speech on college campuses, even if it means hearing points of view that vary drastically from many people’s position. The brain teaser tugging at the collective conscious of Stanford University centers on the upcoming speaking appearance of Robert Spencer.
Who at KTVU writes this purple prose? In any case, there should be no controversy at all. Freedom of speech should be understood as a foundational principle of a free society. But of course, it isn’t.
“I wasn’t aware that kind of stuff happens here. mostly because I see it on the news at Berkeley, and Stanford is kind of the rival of everything,” said Stanford freshman Alaessandro Boaro..[sic]
What kind of “stuff,” Alaessandro? Free inquiry? A fair hearing for ideas that challenge the Leftist establishment?
Stanford’s student newspaper published articles and op-eds Wednesday about Spencer’s impending arrival November 14th.
“We’ve obviously seen the student senate debate they should fund the Spencer event. They ultimately chose yes to fund the event, but also condemn Spencer’s ideology,” said Stanford Daily editor-in-chief Ada Statler-Throckmorten[.]
Imagine: opposing jihad terror and Sharia discrimination against women, gays, and non-Muslims is now an “ideology” worthy of condemnation.
Robert Spencer has decried what he calls the “Islamization” of America, and has said Islam is a violent religion.
Look at Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, Pakistan and Afghanistan. All strongly based on Islamic law. All human rights basket cases. Does KTVU want those laws here? No? Then it should be supporting me, not defaming me. And as for Islam being a violent religion, there have been 32,000 violent jihad attacks worldwide since 9/11, all committed in the name of Islam and in accord with its teachings. Clearly there are a great many Muslims who believe Islam is a violent religion. My reach and resonance must be even greater than the Stanford snowflakes imagine!
“It’s gonna rile-up a lot of people. and a lot of people are going to feel uncomfortable especially since this that isn’t what Stanford was to them,” said Boara.
All right, KTVU, is it “Boaro,” as you have it above, or “Boara,” as you have it here?
Stanford’s College Republicans invited him to speak, but wouldn’t speak to Fox-2 about that decision. In a published statement the group says, “We will not let the fact that some students take exception to Mister Spencer’s views stop us from providing an important educational experience to the Stanford community.”…
“Even if the Spencer event does go on, the action would be to boycott the event, rather than any kind of active protest,” said Statler-Throckmorten[.]
Can’t handle an intellectual challenge, eh, Statler-Throckmorten? And why can’t KTVU manage to put a period after “Statler-Throckmorten”?
There is an on-line petition by some students asking the student association to de-fund Spencer’s visit. School officials admit struggling with this, but in the end say discovery sometimes comes from ideas deemed objectionable.
Heh. Meanwhile, they’re doing their best to make sure that students think my ideas “objectionable” before they’ve heard me say a word.