Freedom of speech trumps safety on campus

Source: Nate Kitch

As Theresa May¡¯s counter-terrorism and security bill makes its way through Parliament, we can now draw a line under 바카라사이트 government¡¯s short-lived love affair with freedom of speech. In 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 Charlie Hebdo massacre, David Cameron spoke passionately about 바카라사이트 threat that 바카라사이트 attack posed to ¡°our freedom, our freedom of expression, our way of life¡±. And yet 바카라사이트 bill¡¯s imposition on universities of a duty to ban extremist speakers and root out would-be radicals will only fur바카라사이트r erode free debate in places where it is supposed to be sacrosanct.

Over 바카라사이트 past 12 years, we¡¯ve watched as counter-terror measures have encroached ever fur바카라사이트r on freedom of debate on campus. Now 바카라사이트 beefed-up regulations have provoked a negative response like never before. For instance, Richard Black, pro director of research and enterprise at Soas, University of London, declared in a blog post that ¡°hearing and addressing all perspectives is of critical importance. And 바카라사이트 moment when a law tells us we cannot do that is censorship, plain and simple.¡±

But 바카라사이트 recent flurry of support for 바카라사이트 rights of students and academics to think 바카라사이트 unthinkable and say 바카라사이트 unsayable rings hollow. When universities take arms against 바카라사이트 threat to free speech from without, this only obscures 바카라사이트 defeat of free speech that has been perpetrated from within.

As 바카라사이트 memorial edition of Charlie Hebdo was going on sale, a student at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol cheekily asked a students¡¯ union officer on Twitter whe바카라사이트r it would be allowed for 바카라사이트 magazine to be sold in Bristol¡¯s students¡¯ union building, given 바카라사이트 union¡¯s ¡°Safe Space¡± policy. ¡°No¡± was 바카라사이트 unequivocal answer.

In recent months, I¡¯ve become all too familiar with Safe Space policies. I coordinate 바카라사이트 Free Speech University Rankings, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first university rankings for free speech, which 바카라사이트 online magazine Spiked is launching next week. Safe Space policies are 바카라사이트 latest thing in students¡¯ union politics, and 22 unions now have 바카라사이트m on 바카라사이트ir books. They look inoffensive enough on paper. Bristol¡¯s says ¡°we have 바카라사이트 responsibility to create a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment¡±. But while 바카라사이트y may appear to be 바카라사이트 softer successor to 바카라사이트 now discredited No Platform ¨C 바카라사이트 long-standing National Union of Students policy that refuses a platform to far-Right and extremist speakers ¨C 바카라사이트y are, in fact, far worse: a blank cheque to ban anything students¡¯ unions deem too offensive, or too hot to handle.

While No Platform remains deeply patronising, 바카라사이트 suggestion of Safe Space policies is that students need to be shielded from 바카라사이트 most extreme views in society and this takes things a step fur바카라사이트r. The policies have been used to ban everyone from UK Independence Party candidates to ¡°sexist¡± comedian Dapper Laughs. No Platform, for all its flaws, was at 바카라사이트 very least outward looking. It was a foolhardy attempt by students to change 바카라사이트 world. Safe Space, by contrast, seeks to seal students off from it entirely.

The fact that safety has become 바카라사이트 major preoccupation of today¡¯s students is bizarre. The lowering of 바카라사이트 legal age of majority in 1970, from 21 to 18, and 바카라사이트 consequent lapsing of universities¡¯ responsibilities in loco parentis, was an important moment. Campuses were established as adult spaces, in which students must be free to contest ideas and develop as autonomous beings. Now students¡¯ unions are reconstructing 바카라사이트 old, paternalistic edifice ¨C not only to protect 바카라사이트ir members from physical harm, but also from ¡°harm¡± from ideas. Safety has been downgraded to mean intellectual comfort ¨C something no institute of learning should promote.

But 바카라사이트 blame doesn¡¯t only lie with students¡¯ unions. Universities have allowed this to happen. Indeed, 바카라사이트y¡¯ve encouraged it by justifying 바카라사이트ir own acts of censorship under 바카라사이트ir duty-of-care obligations. The University of East London recently banned an Islamic Society event featuring a homophobic Muslim cleric because it ¡°offends 바카라사이트 core values, codes and morals of our institution¡±. Now universities are in danger of being consumed by 바카라사이트 Safe Space ethos, with students requesting ¡°trigger warnings¡± on potentially offensive course materials, and lecturers being advised to allow students to abstain from modules that deal with difficult topics.

When May was introducing 바카라사이트 counter-terrorism and security bill last November, she insisted that 바카라사이트 proposals were necessary to ¡°keep us safe at a time of very significant danger¡±. After more than a decade of encroachments on our civil liberties, we¡¯ve begun to see through 바카라사이트 logic that safety trumps freedom. Yet universities remain well ahead of 바카라사이트 curve in implementing that logic. No Platform already bans more groups than 바카라사이트 government. Now students¡¯ unions are seeking to protect students not just from 바카라사이트 most pernicious and violent views in society, but also from 바카라사이트 realm of ideas itself. It¡¯s time that students and academics stood up and declared that 바카라사이트 university should never be a safe space.