Is a discussion of free speech potentially traumatic? A recent panel for Smith College alumnae elicited this ominous warning when a transcript appeared in the campus newspaper: Racism/racial slurs, ableist slurs, antisemitic language, anti-Muslim/Islamophobic language, anti-immigrant language, sexist/misogynistic slurs ... .
No one on this panel, in which I participated, trafficked in slurs. So what prompted the warning?
Smith President Kathleen McCartney had joked, We're just wild and crazy, aren't we? In the transcript, crazy was replaced by (ableist slur).
One panelist mentioned the State Department had for a time banned jihad, Islamist and caliphate which the transcript flagged as anti-Muslim/Islamophobic language.
Discussing the teaching of Huckleberry Finn, I questioned the use of euphemisms such as the n-word and, in doing so, uttered that forbidden word. I described the difference between quoting a word in the context of discussing literature or prejudice and hurling it as an epithet.
On campus, I was branded a racist. McCartney apologized that some students and faculty were hurt and made to feel unsafe by my remarks.
Unsafe? These days, when students talk about threats to their safety, they're often talking about the threat of unwelcome speech and demanding protection from the emotional disturbances sparked by unsettling ideas. It's not just rape that some women on campus fear: It's discussions of rape. At Brown University, a scheduled debate between two feminists about rape culture was criticized for, as the Brown Daily Herald put it, undermining the University's mission to create a safe and supportive environment for survivors.
How did we get here? You can credit or blame progressives for this embrace of censorship.
In the 1980s, law professor Catharine MacKinnon and writer Andrea Dworkin framed pornography as an assault on women. They defined pornography as a violation of women's civil rights and championed an anti-porn ordinance that would authorize civil actions by any woman aggrieved by pornography. MacKinnon and Dworkin lost that battle, but their successors are winning the war. Their view of allegedly offensive speech as a civil rights violation has helped shape campus speech codes and nurtured progressive hostility toward free speech.
The '80s and early '90s recovery movement adopted a similarly dire view of unwelcome speech. Words wound, anti-porn feminists and recovering co-dependents agreed. Self-appointed recovery experts, such as author John Bradshaw, promoted the belief that most of us are victims of abuse. They broadened the definition of abuse to include common, normal childhood experiences. From this perspective, we are all fragile and damaged by presumptively hurtful speech, and censorship looks like a moral necessity.
Read the original post:
Liberal ideals are stunting speech on college campuses
- University round table examines challenges to free speech [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- University of Worcester fares well in free speech study [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- A line beyond which one may not go [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Councillor accused of stifling free speech after making complaint against counterparts social media use [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- The French Debate: Free Speech Versus Hate Speech [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Church of England removing vicars right to free speech? - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- FREE SPEECH ZONE s08e06 (2-7-15) - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Charlie Hebdo/The Interview: Free Speech: Free to Murder? - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Free Speech & Liberty Pizza House opening comment 2015 - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- 2015=02-01 Limits of Free Speech - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Health Free Speech Petition and Litigation - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Putin Popularity Rating: Russian President's 80% approval rating may stem from free speech violation - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Steven Pinker's "Why free speech is fundamental" - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- "Islam & Free Speech" - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Free Speech and the Battle for Western Culture - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- (UPDATED) CAIR Officials Nationwide Condemn Charlie Hebdo Attack, Defend Free Speech - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- The Koch Brothers and $889 million free speech dollars - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Mark Zuckerberg Reverses Decision On Free Speech - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Rick Perry: Court ruling imposes chilling effect on free speech - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- TAVIS SMILEY | FREE SPEECH IN AMERICA | January 26-27, 2015 - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Lord Jamar: USA's Only About Free Speech When It's Convenient - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Free Speech vs Politically Correct (Liberal Hypocrisy) - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Sharif Nashashibi, Suzanne Nossel, Munir Pervaiz Saami discusses free speech - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- FREE SPEECH ZONE s08e04 (1-24-15) - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Do I Think #6: Voting, Free Speech & #GamerGate - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Chris Hedges: Roots of Terrorism, Free Speech Hypocrisy & Translating #JeSuisCharlie - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Q&A Banning Haters: What About Free Speech? - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Putin's grip on free speech - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Why Saudi Arabia Is Flogging A Free Speech Activist - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Islamists Deny Media Access at At Muslim Free Speech Conference - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Metallica- Free Speech For The Dumb - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- 1st Peoples, Palestine, and the Crushing of Free Speech - Steven Salaita - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Free Speech Hypocrisy In France - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Pope clarifies position on free speech - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Muslim response to Charlie Hebdo Attack - Free speech or insult? - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Charlie Hebdo, double standards and free speech - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Gays, Islam, Free Speech - Tony Perkins, Bill Maher & MORE! LiberalViewer Sunday Clip Round-Up 91 - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Free Speech: Mercury is Speech, Venus is Values - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- The Pope Supports "Free Speech" (sort of) - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Ring of Fire on Free Speech TV - 01/18/2015 (FULL EPISODE) - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Mad about free speech and North Korea? Hack back, says group [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- Ring of Fire on Free Speech TV - 02/08/2015 (FULL EPISODE) - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- Ring of Fire on Free Speech TV - 02/01/2015 (FULL EPISODE) - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- MP George Galloway on Free Speech Charlatans & Austin Powers Foreign Policy in Syria - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- Limited Free Speech Isn't Free Speech - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- Volokh Conspiracy: Murder at Copenhagen debate on free speech attended by Swedish Muhammad cartoonist [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- One dead after shooting at free speech event in Denmark featuring controversial artist [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Gunman kills 1 in attack on free speech event in Denmark [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Deadly shooting at Copenhagen free speech event [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Are Students Free to Speak Their Mind? Well at Southampton, yes. [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Shooting targets free speech event in Denmark, killing one [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Police: 1 dead in shooting at Copenhagen free speech event [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- The Heat debates free speech and assembly in France - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Detroit's Campus Martius: Banning Free Speech in Public Space - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Dr William Lane Craig: The Moral Argument (Proof of God) - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Did Pope Francis Preach Violence? - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Danish police kill gunman believed behind 2 shootings [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Danish shooter had gangland past [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Free speech in Britain: Police tracking people who bought ... [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Copenhagen shooting: Free speech seminar attacked - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Professor Advocates Violence Against White Racist - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Muslim Coward Attempts to Murder Swedish Artist - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Srsly Wrong - 41 - Free Speech Zone, Act 1 - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Free Speech and Charming Ignorance - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Police say Copenhagen gunman had criminal record, gang past [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Police say Copenhagen gunman had criminal record and gang past [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- U.S. Funds The Terrorist To Take Our Freedoms - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- First Copenhagen shooting victim identified as film maker - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Danes react to two fatal shootings - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Danish police doing forensic investigation after islamic terrorist was shot dead, 15/2-2015 - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Denmark: See BULLET-RIDDLED scene of first Copenhagen shooting - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Animatrix - Humans vs Machines HD - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- RickWells.us - General Jerry Boykin on UN Attempt To Prohibit Free Speech Regarding Islam - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Copenhagen Krudttnden Cafe Street View - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Muhammad Cartoonist Targeted! TSA Active Shooter VIDEO, The "Digital Dark Age" and more #TMS - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Copenhagen free speech debate shooting: One dead - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Germany: Copenhagen attacks, Ukraine ceasefire on Merkel's agenda - Video [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2015]
- Copenhagen Denmark Shooting - Lars Vilks - Calling Cards Of Hoax Fake Crap - Video [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2015]
- Danish prime minister visits - Video [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2015]
- Second Person Dead In Separate Suspected Terror Shootings In Copenhagen - Video [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2015]