Attacks On ‘Political Correctness’ Have Gone Too Far – Honolulu Civil Beat

Its time to ease up on knee-jerk criticism of so-called political correctness.

A university official, or student, who isnt willing to hear out any and all nuts and extremists is now dismissed as an anti-First Amendment snowflake, too sensitive to be subjected to a screed and then to rebut it, in a time-honored homage to free speech.

Yes, college students have sometimes obviously! been too quick to drown out speakers with, to their ears, offensive views. There are many thoughtful writers and pundits on both the far right and far left appropriate for a campus audience. But now the pendulum has swung way too far in the other direction.

Ive published, over the decades, several magazines that accepted freelance submissions. More often than not we said, Sorry, not for us.

These rejections were not acts of censorship. They were not anti-free speech. We simply felt the would-be contributors did not enhance the values or tone our publications embraced.

The rejected authors were free to find another publication or the internet or stand on a crate on public land, Hyde Park-style, and shout their message to passers-by. Their free-speech rights were alive and well.

Similarly, if I were a university president I would guard access to my institutions facilities the same way I guarded the pages of my magazines.

Milo Yiannapoulos, a former Breitbart senior editor, caused a riot at Berkeley because of his extremist views. Then he was discovered on a video laughing off pedophilia in the Catholic church and saying sex with boys as young as 13 could be a good thing. Telling him today he isnt welcome on my campus? A no-brainer.

Same with Holocaust deniers. And psychics, faith healers and the Klan. Let them hire a hall from people whose mission is amusement rather than learning. If the mission of an institution of learning is to educate, it makes no sense to provide platforms for those who advance ignorance.

And Ann Coulter? Her shtick is to offend, with her familiar little toolbox of hateful clichs. Let her or her fans book the amusement hall along with the faith healers, et al.

But what about political scientist Charles Murray, who was shouted down at Middlebury College? Most would say thats a tougher call.

Heres essential information about Murray: Hes an author who has used racist pseudoscience to argue that black and Latino communities are genetically inferior. Affirmative action and welfare programs, he has argued, will never help these groups. Because they are innately lesser.

Now, if I were a university president, why would I expect my black and Latino students, in a supposed free and open debate, to feel forced to make a case for their own self-worth, for their own intelligence? It would be demeaning, even cruel.

So be tough and say no, university officials, and let all your students get on with their education.

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Attacks On 'Political Correctness' Have Gone Too Far - Honolulu Civil Beat