The UC Berkeley Administration Goes Laissez-Faire On Rioting Against Speech
Terrific post by Greg Lukianoff, the President and CEO of the campus free speech defending organization, TheFIRE.org -- the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education:
The Berkeley administration is incentivizing anyone who doesn't want a particular speaker to be heard to threaten (or even engage in) acts of violence. This all but guarantees that controversial speakers on a particular campus will be silenced, and teaches a generation of students that resorting to violence will be rewarded. Students are learning deeply illiberal lessons. I can think of few things that are more corrosive to higher education or a pluralistic democracy.Anyone who responds to speech with violence should be prosecuted. So far, to our knowledge, nobody has been charged at Middlebury College, and possibly only one person has been charged in the Berkeley riots.
When students physically block access to speeches or shout down speakers to prevent them from being heard, they should likewise be punished. Failing to address these disruptions grants an ongoing heckler's veto to would-be censors. This is inimical to both freedom of speech and academic freedom on campus.
There is a reason nobody says, "If you want to stop a bully, give him everything he wants." Failure to address violent responses to speech only encourages more violence, while turning great institutions like the University of California, Berkeley, into environments where what can be said -- and therefore, what can be taught -- is dictated by a minority of violent students and other protesters.
To put it in stark terms, not taking a stand against violent protesters is eventually going to get someone killed.
UPDATE: "UC Berkeley reverses decision to cancel Ann Coulter visit."
Whatever you think of Ann Coulter or Milo or anyone else, the thug's veto should not be allowed to prevail. (The answer to speech you disagree with is more speech, not trying to silence the person making it.)
In related events, the notorious bike lock assailant has been found. If no one's heard about this, at the notorious Battle of Berkeley, this fine, upstanding, mild-mannered gentleman gained notoriety when he slipped out of the antifa group, smashed someone over the head with a bike lock, immediately drawing blood, then slinked back into the crowd.
And if you think causing grievous bodily injury in any way deterred this sicko, and perhaps made him reconsider his actions, I wish I lived in the same unicorn-fairy world you've created. Because he has gone on to repeat this despicable behavior.
Big surprise. He's actually a college professor.
Patrick at April 21, 2017 1:54 AM
"Failing to address these disruptions grants an ongoing heckler's veto to would-be censors."
Well, yeah. That was the point. That Berkeley incentivized violence and censorship is not an accident. That is exactly what their management wanted. They just don't want to take responsibility for it.
Ben at April 21, 2017 2:26 AM
That Berkeley incentivized violence and censorship is not an accident. That is exactly what their management wanted. They just don't want to take responsibility for it.
Yep.
I would say that both the city and the university have instructed law enforcement to stand down. They're in the process of finding out that you can only punch someone in the face for so long before they punch back twice as hard.
As Moldylocks found out the hard way. They will come to rue their choices. Ye have sown the wind, ye shall reap the whirlwind.
I R A Darth Aggie at April 21, 2017 6:12 AM
Minion: "Are you happy Mastor?"
Evil Overlord: "Yes Minion! Now we can blame the violence on the ones we've been yelling at, cursing at, and hitting! Ha Ha Ha Ha!"
Cue MSM and soon Fox News. "Trump supporters hitting peaceful protesters"
Bob in Texas at April 21, 2017 7:43 AM
Patrick, interesting about bike lock assailant Eric Clanton - I can't find any MSM links to the story. Maybe in a day or two. You can really hear the blow in the video.
As other people have noted, the good demonstrated here was by volunteers determined to not let him get away with it.
Sometimes I think these "protests" are just a substitute for the mosh pit.
Canvasback at April 21, 2017 8:36 AM
I can't find any MSM links to the story.
Because it goes against the narrative.
Trumphumpers are the violent ones, you see. Not Black Bloc. Not the Anarchists. Not the Commie rabble. No, peas loving citizens, one and all.
They'd never beat someone over the head with a bike lock.
I R A Darth Aggie at April 21, 2017 12:34 PM
It's time for us, the alternative media, to investigate Berkeley's city government and police. Either the police are complete cowards (but tellingly afraid only of right-leaning demonstrators), or more likely they're in the pay of Soros and his "Antifa" and disarmed the good guys in order to help the thugs win.
In either case, the job has devolved on us, who would speak and listen, to defend by force our own right to do those things. Let's get the job done.
jdgalt at April 21, 2017 1:16 PM
"more likely they're in the pay of Soros"
Even more likely: they're in the pay of Berkeley politicians who cut the checks for city employees.
And gosh I wonder where THEY get their financial backing.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at April 21, 2017 2:03 PM
That whirring noise you hear is Mario Savio spinning in his grave.
KateC at April 21, 2017 7:01 PM
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