The fact that this morning’s edition of The Washington Post even exists is a tribute to the nation’s commitment to protecting freedom of the press, and yet University of Pennsylvania professor Shaun R. Harper has published an op-ed claiming that campus protests against racism “aren’t silencing anyone.”
Protests against campus racism don’t threaten free speech. They embrace it. https://t.co/xAA6PqdZgV via @WaPoThing
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 10, 2016
https://twitter.com/eva_frangou/status/707964557881425920
Harper, who is executive director of the Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education, asks, “Where were the critics who now see free speech under siege at universities when people of color were being silenced?”
“Student activists are not attempting to shut down conversations at their universities,” he writes. “In fact, it is the exact opposite — they aim to raise the consciousness of white professors, administrators, campus police officers and peers. They want more dialogue, not less.”
Really? Was it so long ago that this happened among the precious flowers at the University of Missouri?
@washingtonpost @WaPoThing Yeah..they welcome open discourse. pic.twitter.com/7RozAWw8Hq
— Bill (@Bill_321) March 10, 2016
That student protest was about race, but black “allies” like Melissa Click were so insistent that the sanctity of the protest not be tainted by media coverage that she yelled at a student reporter that he couldn’t be there, and then went in search of “muscle” to have him physically removed when he insisted on exercising his right to cover the event. Turns out those hand-drawn “No Media Safe Space” signs weren’t legally binding.
Recommended
.@Mizzou students want to control message, extreme attempts to block media. Home of renowned journalism school. pic.twitter.com/vei5LY7ksN
— Robert Cohen (@kodacohen) November 9, 2015
A few more from @Mizzou, home of a renowned journalism school. Told no permission for pictures…in public. pic.twitter.com/ew6JxbJCXF
— Robert Cohen (@kodacohen) November 9, 2015
No, protesters who point out campus racism aren’t silencing anyone — but they’re trying their best and would if they could.
Another fine example of black protesters wanting “more dialogue, not less” is the recent demand by students at Oberlin that the school establish racially segregated, black-only “safe spaces” across the campus. Students of color at Brown also recently posted their own list of demands online, to which a white “ally” amended, “Please, white people, do not comment or edit this document, or make your own demands of students of color. This is not our space and we are not entitled to inclusion or explanations.”
https://twitter.com/Dont_be_a_dweeb/status/707965966446108672
Might this tweeter be referring to Christina Sommers being introduced by students announcing the establishment of a “safe space” where an alternative speaker would be available? Or Ben Shapiro’s recent speech at California State University which was canceled but which he delivered anyway, despite protesters blocking the doors to the auditorium and setting off the fire alarm during his presentation? The hunger for dialogue is clear.
@washingtonpost @WaPoThing @DrShaunHarper WaPo = Minitruth. 1984 has arrived and is as bad as I feared
— Catius (@NewCatius) March 10, 2016
https://twitter.com/slingwingpilot/status/707967638492876800
@washingtonpost @WaPoThing College is where you go where you find people who don't look at the world the same way. No bullshit safe zones.
— DabrickshawBuckshank (@DabrickshawBuck) March 10, 2016
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Related:
‘Unexpected’! University of Missouri discovers that being Social Justice Central can be bad for biz
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