https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/05/26/two-colleges-what-happens-when-protesters-obstruct-free-speech
This article discusses how the administration of DePaul University tried to stop a student’s speech while he was voicing his grievances against the school. This speech sparked a protest which resulted in the event being shut down. The student, Milo Yiannopolous, was giving a speech bashing topics such as feminism, and the transgender movement. This event sparked anger and discomfort among the crowd and the event got out of hand. Protestors stated that this student had engaged them in hateful speech before and made students feel unwelcome. The article also captures the story of six Jewish students who attend the university. They were in a room and were watching a movie called Beneath the Helmet which told the story of five Israeli soldiers and their sacrifices in the line of duty. People were protesting the students watching the movie. The aggression was quite evident because the students were apparently screaming and belligerent and resulted in one of the students, Lisa Armony, calling the police. When the police arrived, and attempted to ease the altercation, the students finished the movie. This protest should never have happened. A simple movie should not be the cause of such disagreement between students. Both of these students believe in free speech but they have two different ideologies.
I believe hate speech and racism needs to be ended. There is really no reason for me to hate any other person simply because of the color of their skin. They are people just like us and people should not be categorized as different just because they are from a different country or believe in a different religion. Freedom of speech should be limited when it threatens the safety of the students, not when the students want to promote equality. Students who are hateful towards other races tend to be more hostile and as a result, letting them do what they want against other students just allows them to be bullies. In a college or university, people from all over the world are attending in order to gain an education. People should not be discriminated against especially in the cultural melting pot that is higher education.
Chris, this was a vey interesting read. As we’ve discussed in class, there is a very fine and not so distinct line between acceptable speech and slander. We as human beings want to hear nice things, and we want people to agree with us- this is very normal. However, I too believe it to be unacceptable when we force our own beliefs onto others, and demand them to be the only “true” beliefs. It may be very bleak of me to say, but as long as America and even other nations remain the way they are- that is, boasting a diverse population- then there is bound to be differences and conflicts that arise from these differences. What we could do is simply to stand our ground and not be swayed by these often hateful and offensive attacks, and if possible, to resolve their hate.