Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard
An editorial in the Wellesley College student newspaper that called for "shutting down" some forms of hateful rhetoric became the latest flashpoint in a contentious national debate over free speech and its limits on college campuses.
The editorial, published Wednesday in the Wellesley News, argues that the campus community will "not stand for hate speech, and will call it out when possible."
"Shutting down rhetoric that undermines the existence and rights of others is not a violation of free speech; it is hate speech," the editorial states. "The spirit of free speech is to protect the suppressed, not to protect a free-for-all where anything is acceptable, no matter how hateful and damaging."
The editorial was widely criticized on social media as antithetical to the free exchange of ideas that is critical in a democracy and in liberal arts education. It comes as colleges across the country are wrestling with how to protect free speech in an era of trigger warnings, safe spaces, and even assaults on incendiary speakers invited to campuses.
Free speech for all. Unless they disagree with us on something...
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday April 17 2017, @05:59PM (4 children)
Oh, you're saying we should stop posting NASA stories then because none of us are ever likely to go to space? Get a better argument.
Here you go [dictionary.com], definitions one and three.
Colleges cheered every time Obama issued an executive order in direct violation of his oath of office to uphold the Constitution.
Precisely what we are talking about here today.
Big, fat, whopping check mark there. It damned sure ain't the Republicans and Libertarians calling for more regulation.
Aggressive nationalism, check. They're just not particular which nation they're for, as long as it's against the U.S.
Racism, check. You'll find less hatred of and advocation against white men in Compton or Watts.
Yep, most colleges hit every single qualification to be fascists. Students wearing antifa uniforms and inciting/perpetrating violence those who dare to think or speak out of step with the party line is just one of many steps they've taken that all but mirror Germany in the 30s.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1) by butthurt on Monday April 17 2017, @07:29PM (3 children)
a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power
Colleges cheered every time Obama issued an executive order [...]
Yep, most colleges hit every single qualification to be fascists.
You're simply saying that Obama is literally Hitler?
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Monday April 17 2017, @08:15PM (2 children)
Obama isn't Hitler, but he was the evil fuck who set up due process free execution of American citizens based on secret legal memos, and he ran out of bombs in 2016 blowing up countries at which we are not at war. He's no Hitler, but he's no Jesus either.
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Monday April 17 2017, @09:56PM (1 child)
There's a meme that goes "Obama is literally Hitler." I was wondering whether the original poster was invoking it. Had Mr. Obama literally run out of bombs, that would have set off our Geiger counters.
Certainly he was open about the extrajudicial killings of his own people, but I tend to think that such killings happened before he took office. I can't prove it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Webb#Death [wikipedia.org]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco_siege [wikipedia.org]
I imagine that it will continue now that he's left office, too.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/12/03/philippine_president_duterte_says_trump_congratulated_him_on_violent_anti.html [slate.com]
Being able to kill on a whim is immense power. However, these student writers say "[...] questionable claims should be mitigated by education as opposed to personal attacks." The drone killings are personal attacks, are they not? I just don't see the fascist tendencies in the editorial.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Tuesday April 18 2017, @05:18PM
"The U.S. is running out of bombs to drop on ISIS [^w random people]": http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/04/politics/air-force-20000-bombs-missiles-isis/ [cnn.com]
"America dropped 26,171 bombs in 2016. What a bloody end to Obama's reign" https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/09/america-dropped-26171-bombs-2016-obama-legacy [theguardian.com]