Sample Cases

Freedom of Speech or Protection against Hate Speech?

In the past few years, many radical speakers on both the far left and the far right have been prevented from speaking on university campuses due to protests from opposing viewpoints. For example, Ann Coulter (author of In Trump We Trust) was initially banned from speaking at University of California, Berkeley, which was ironically the stronghold of the Free Speech Movement that took place in the 1960s. The reason for the ban was stated as “active security threats,” although many far-right supporters of Ms. Coulter suggest it was an infringement of her right to free speech (BBC News). Protesters often cite hate speech as their rationale for preventing people who speak hateful rhetoric from entering their campus. This was the case for students at Middlebury College who peacefully protested social scientist Charles Murray by standing up during his speech with signs reading: “Your message is hatred, we cannot tolerate it” (CBC). Should campuses be a haven for free speech regardless of what is said? Or are campuses meant to be a haven for students who feel threatened by speakers’ hateful speech? What are we losing if we do not allow dissenting voices to meet?

References

BBC. “Berkeley reverses decision to ban Ann Coulter from speaking.” BBC News 22 Apr. 2017. www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39657088. (18 Sept. 2017).

CBC. “Why a campus protest has the right and left calling for more civilized discourse.” The Current. 20 Mar. 2017. www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the- current-for-march-20-2017-1.4032269/why-a-campus-protest-has-the-right- and-left-calling-for-more-civilized-discourse-1.4032535 (18 Sept. 2017).