Bill Maher exercises his freedom of speech a lot more than we’d like him to, but he’s dead-on in his assessment of the University of California, Berkeley, and its apparent inability to host “controversial” (i.e., conservative) speakers without being shamed into finding a space safe enough to allow free expression on campus.
.@UCBerkeley used to be the cradle of free speech, and now it’s just the cradle for fucking babies. w/@secupp #FreeSpeech #FirstAmendment pic.twitter.com/xnPafzX9a2
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) April 22, 2017
Hold up, there. Author Joyce Carol Oates suggests that Maher look into the nuances of the issue.
You may want to look into the complexity of this issue before making a judgment. Or, you may not.
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) April 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/RobProvince/status/855979014934155265
There's no complexity. Silencing those who disagree with you by violence is literally a KKK tactic cc @billmaher https://t.co/rq78Zb1Ixx
— (((Aaron “Worthing” Walker))) (@AaronWorthing) April 23, 2017
Quite familiar with the issue; not that complex. Suppressing speech is illiberal and undemocratic. Oh, and dumb. https://t.co/Ud5p9a46Fi
— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) April 23, 2017
Right. Freedom is hard, but not complex.
— tomfitzgerald (@tomfitzgerald) April 23, 2017
But … the nuance.
At Berkeley the issue isn't free speech but great expenses involved in protecting "controversial" speakers. Might charge admission to help.
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) April 23, 2017
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Really … the issue is the expense. And not the expense to compensate the speaker, but the expenses racked up by the so-called anti-fascists who break windows, start fires, pepper-spray people, and then vandalize nearby businesses and pull people out of their cars.
Instead of charging admission, how about charging some of these thugs with assault?
Security for a. single hour-long lecture could be many thousands of dollars plus insurance against lawsuits if anyone is injured.#FreeSpeech
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) April 23, 2017
So the solution to the free speech problem is what? Invite only “non-controversial” speakers who won’t draw protesters?
Why do we need protection for a speaker in the first place??? Liberals and progressives on campuses are becoming authoritarian babies.
— Jesse (@JesseMaxPriest) April 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/burlyg8r/status/855980250752319489
Not to mention: When it comes to security, you don’t aways get what you pay for.
Yiannopoulos: "(College Republicans) paid $1000 for extra security and they aren't doing anything" pic.twitter.com/yYCDlINE5Z
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) May 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/SpectrumNLD/status/735299023129743360
It’s hard out there for a “controversial” speaker.
The intrepid administrators at UW-Madison have assigned 3 officers — yes, 3 — for a crowd of over 500, including 3 protest groups.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) November 16, 2016
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Related:
Wellesley's Commission for Ethnicity, Race, and Equity offers tips to avoid pain, injury caused by guest speakers https://t.co/yCPUTPjWmk
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 24, 2017
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