A recent article in the Washington Post states a “fifth of undergrads now say it’s acceptable to use physical force to silence a speaker who makes ‘offensive and hurtful statements.’” A series of scheduled speeches by right-wing Milo Yiannopoulos have been cancelled due to protests and safety concerns. It’s often the police or the university which cancels the event. On 10/31/17 the NY Post reported that “several dozen protesters” at UCal, Fullerton interfered with a Yiannopoulos event to be attended by 800. In April Ann Coulter’s speech at the UCal, Berkeley was canceled due to protests. Numerous additional cases abound. Aren’t police and universities supposed to protect free speech, even if there is opposition to the content? Shouldn’t our schools be bastions for the free exchange of thoughts and ideas?
It’s difficult to be neutral on this issue. Apparently many liberals believe it’s ok to disrupt the speech and assembly rights of everyone who opposes their views. Anyone who opposes the liberal agenda or the latest liberal hot button is branded a racist, a Nazi, a bigot, a red neck or a white supremacist.
The national news media isn’t much better, headquartered in the liberal-leaning Northeast. I recall watching the Charlottesville, VA “Unite the Right” rally against the removal of Gen. Lee’s statue. The protesters had a court order permitting the rally. Counter-protesters flooded the area, the protest turned violent, people were injured and police cleared the area. There was plenty of blame for the violence on both sides. However, in the carefully edited scripts and video clips aired on the national news, blame was placed almost entirely on the alt-right. This one-sided condemnation occurred despite clear depiction of counter-protesters inciting, hitting and even using a spray-can flame thrower. Members of Congress called for uniting against hate and condemned this “repugnant spectacle.”
Here’s my problem: Free speech and assembly is everyone’s right. If you don’t like someone’s message, you have the right to gather and speak your opposing message. You do NOT have the right to violently attack those who hold the opposing view. Democracy is messy. There will be protests and counter-protests. I don’t like it, but people will try to label the opposition with hateful terms. That’s free speech! What’s not acceptable is using violence and personal attack to try to beat down the opposition.
Our leaders should have said something like: “I personally abhor the alt-right’s hateful views. However, we are all blessed to live in a nation which protects everyone’s right to free speech and assembly. The alt-right was lawfully exercising those rights. I condemn any use of violence in opposing another’s views. In American, we strive to hear all beliefs, thoughts and ideas. Decisions should be made and disputes settled at the ballot box, not at the riot line.”
No one is entitled to decide what is politically correct for everyone else. If everyone were forced to accept one view, always be “politically correct” and not speak out with an opposing or unpopular opinion, we’d be living in a dictatorship or under a Soviet-style government. Some liberals act as if they are entitled to impose their will on everyone else, in any way possible. They act as if there must be something evil or perverted in the conservatives who don’t agree. For whatever reason, conservative-leaning Americans don’t tend to organize protests. But conservatives do vote, much to the annoyance of liberals.
So where’s the “common sense” in my blog entry. The First Amendment guarantees these freedoms. The Founding Fathers knew firsthand the oppression of living under a dictator King. The Founders argued over the drafting of the Constitution. Patrick Henry initially opposed to the very idea of the Constitution, supporting ratification only after the “bill of rights” was added. The entire process involved compromise and negotiation. I submit the First Amendment is derived directly from a Golden Rule of common sense: “tolerate the free speech of others as you would have them tolerate yours.”
