How to restore the First Amendment on campus – Washington Examiner

There has been plenty of recent analysis devoted to today's age of rage on campus. Much of it focuses on the left's reaction to Trump-style populism. But I have been writing about the ways, means and ends of this dangerous phenomenon for much of the past decade. Herewith are five takeaways for your consideration.

1. Progressives delegitimize rather than oppose dissenting views

Adults understand the mere rendering of political opinion (whether right or left) does not constitute a personal threat or present a dangerous environment to the listener. This is common sense stuff, but unacceptable to those who are in the business of degrading opposing views. These folks magnify the meaning of "harassment" or "threat" by claiming that even socially acceptable opposing opinions create such a hostile environment that they feel physically threatened and in need of refuge (i.e. a safe zone). Here, opinions at odds with progressive doctrine are molded into hostile acts. Accordingly, "I watch Fox" or "I oppose racial quotas" or "I believe in traditional marriage" or "I oppose women in combat" are deemed qualifying aggressive actions. The accompanying loss of intellectual curiosity and intellectual engagement is not seen as problematic for campus practitioners and their faculty enablers. This magnification process has led to many ludicrous yet widely reported cases of harassment on campus.

2. The most severe strain of this theology legitimizes violence as an acceptable response

You may have seen interviews with defenders of campus violence over the past year. Their intellectual argument (such as it is) follows a familiar path: because the words employed by the offender are deemed threatening to the recipient he/she has no choice but to lash out at the offender. The irony of college students screaming "Nazi!" or "fascist!" while demonstrating in violent (often criminal) ways seems lost on the afflicted. Note that even the Berkeley police department buys into this fiction. These supposed keepers of the peace are instructed to intervene in campus protests only when the threat of imminent physical harm is at issue; mere property damage rampages do not qualify. In other words, good luck to you and your nice new car on the Berkeley campus.

3. Few progressives see their provocative actions as antithetical to traditions of free speech

I often ask my '60s-generation friends to compare their social activism with today's campus contrarians. Most are unimpressed with the current crowd. No surprise here. The great cultural movements of that era (women's, civil rights, anti-war) were all about dissent and protest sometimes crossing the line into civil disobedience. Indeed, it was during this time that Berkeley became the "home" of the free speech movement. Fifty years later, it has become home to lawlessness and illiberal demands for the silencing of alternative opinion. What could be more damaging to speech than uninviting conservative speakers to campus or shouting them down once they get there?

4. Post-grad snowflakes are in a world of hurt

There is not much data devoted to what occurs when progressive millennials graduate from their isolation zones and are forced to deal with post-graduation reality. And I don't mean graduate school. I'm talking about the real world the one where you either sink or swim in the private marketplace where missing work, in order to demonstrate against some real or perceived social injustice, is decidedly not cool.

Some difficult questions come to mind: Do sit-ins follow the realization that there are no safe zones in the graduate's new workplace? To whom do you send the endless list of micro-aggressions perpetrated on you by your insensitive, mean boss? How to deal with one's "feelings" after suffering the slings and arrows of a poor job review? Where do underperforming employees go to feel better about themselves?

Of course, the lefty administrators and professors who have executed this P.C. hoax on impressionable young minds have no such problems. They did their job just punched the clock and turned out a whole new generation of victims and social justice warriors. But millennials should not expect them to engage in private sector protests as they tend to stay safely ensconced in their tenure-protected ivory towers. Just doesn't seem fair

5. What to do?

Numerous conservative pundits have urged the new administration to withhold federal funds from schools that serially fail to protect First Amendment rights. (The feds already have the power to withhold dollars from institutions that violate anti-discrimination laws.) We can only hope Mr. Trump will wield his big stick in support of speech.

A tough-minded response is required because our unfortunate cultural experiment in too many participation trophies (and far too little parental guidance) has backfired. The resulting generation of overprotected and self-absorbed adolescents is ill-prepared for life's myriad challenges and disappointments. Many of these same students "feel the Bern" because life is so unfair and because "Democratic socialism" sounds so cool. Lost in the process has been learning, social engagement, critical thinking, and personal growth at $50,000 a year to boot.

Ironically, the same institutions of higher learning that have presided over this silliness will soon be hitting you, parents and alumni, up for your annual giving contribution. A portion of this money will be used to pay the salaries of arrogant elitists who preach illiberal, hateful lessons aboutyou. Here's a thought: Maybe you should see that annual giving solicitation as your very own micro-aggression, and just say "no."

Gov. Robert Ehrlich is a Washington Examiner columnist, partner at King & Spalding and author of three books, including the recently released Turning Point.He was governor of Maryland from 2003 - 2007.

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How to restore the First Amendment on campus - Washington Examiner