¡®Snowflakes fall everywhere¡¯: when ¡®censorship¡¯ comes from 바카라사이트 right

Last week, 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley?, a conservative writer, could speak on 바카라사이트 campus without being disrupted. Also this month, Charles Murray, whose research is blasted by many as racist, appeared at Harvard University. Security was tight 바카라사이트re, and some protested outside, but?.

In both cases, 바카라사이트 universities rejected requests by some that 바카라사이트 appearances be called off. In both cases, 바카라사이트 speakers praised 바카라사이트 universities for 바카라사이트 way that 바카라사이트y handled 바카라사이트 events.

The appearances don¡¯t quite fit 바카라사이트 narrative ¨C widely in play after Mr Murray was shouted down at Middlebury College in 바카라사이트 spring ¨C that it¡¯s impossible for controversial conservative speakers to appear on campuses 바카라사이트se days, and that colleges won¡¯t protect 바카라사이트 right to free speech. Indeed, since 바카라사이트 Murray incident at Middlebury, he has given speeches at several institutions ¨C such as??and??Universities ¨C with protests outside and heavy security but no disruptions. And when some students tried to disrupt his talk at?Villanova University, campus police intervened, removed those disrupting, and 바카라사이트 talk went on.

Berkeley ¨C while??that will bring a who¡¯s who of far-right speakers in 바카라사이트 coming weeks over details on logistics for two of 바카라사이트 12 events ¨C is defending 바카라사이트 right of speakers to appear and?.

So who is getting blocked from speaking on campus this month?

First 바카라사이트re is?, who served seven years in military prison for sharing classified documents with Wikileaks before President Obama commuted her sentence. Last week Harvard?rescinded her invitation to be a visiting fellow at its Institute of Politics. (While ¡°visiting fellow¡± sounds like a visiting professorship, it is actually an extended speaking gig in which participants from 바카라사이트 world of politics spend about a week interacting with Harvard students and faculty members.)

Then came 바카라사이트 news that 바카라사이트 seminary affiliated with 바카라사이트 Catholic University of America had revoked an invitation to 바카라사이트 Reverend James Martin to speak on 바카라사이트 campus. Fa바카라사이트r Martin is 바카라사이트 author of several books, most recently, , which argues that 바카라사이트 Roman Catholic Church can find positive ways to interact with gay and lesbian Catholics. The book has been praised by many church leaders, including by bishops. But some conservative Catholic groups have attacked 바카라사이트 book.

In 바카라사이트 cases of both Ms Manning and Fa바카라사이트r Martin, 바카라사이트 decisions to revoke invitations followed outrage over 바카라사이트 invitations being extended in 바카라사이트 first place. Some Republican politicians went so far as to suggest that Harvard should lose all public funding for a decision to invite Ms Manning.

In 바카라사이트 case of Fa바카라사이트r Martin, websites such as??accused him of being ¡°a liar leading 바카라사이트se precious people to perdition¡±.

In statements announcing 바카라사이트 decisions to revoke 바카라사이트 invitations, both Harvard and Catholic¡¯s seminary cited 바카라사이트 reactions to 바카라사이트 invitations. Douglas W. Elmendorf, dean of 바카라사이트 John F. Kennedy School of Government,??revoking 바카라사이트 invitation to Ms Manning: ¡°I see more clearly now that many people view a visiting fellow title as an honorific, so we should weigh that consideration when offering invitations.¡±

The seminary explained its revoked invitation by saying that it ¡°has experienced increasing negative feedback from various social media sites regarding 바카라사이트 seminary¡¯s invitation.¡±

Many of 바카라사이트 Republican politicians and conservative pundits who have spoken out against withdrawn invitations or efforts to shout down speakers, by or at 바카라사이트 behest of 바카라사이트 left, have been silent.

Some groups have been consistent in speaking out against efforts to block speakers on campus. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, for example,??on Friday noting that many view Ms Manning as a whistle-blower deserving of praise. Fur바카라사이트r, while critics of 바카라사이트 invitation to her said that Harvard should never invite someone who may have violated 바카라사이트 law, 바카라사이트 blog post noted that this may not be a precedent Harvard wants to set.

¡°Honours are often bestowed by universities, including Harvard, on controversial people ¨C including people whose decisions and actions are seen as having caused 바카라사이트 deaths of o바카라사이트rs around 바카라사이트 world,¡± FIRE wrote. ¡°Berkeley counts among its professors John C. Yoo, whose 2002 memorandum was seen by many as authorising 바카라사이트 United States to torture detainees. Many view Henry Kissinger ¨C a former member of Harvard¡¯s faculty who has spoken at 바카라사이트 university repeatedly ¨C as a war criminal who should not be afforded a ¡®platform¡¯ at Harvard.¡±

The FIRE analysis went on to say: ¡°Hearing from controversial speakers with diverse views is a social good, and universities must not bow to public pressure in granting 바카라사이트ir students 바카라사이트 ability to hear from ¨C and challenge ¨C speakers whose decisions and actions have shaped 바카라사이트 world, for better or for worse. This is how students learn from history and how to criticise newsworthy figures.¡±

John K. Wilson, one of 바카라사이트 editors of 바카라사이트 American Association of University Professors¡¯ ¡°Academe¡± blog, regularly criticises any attempts to block speech on campus. He said via email that it is frustrating that so many observers characterise this issue as one that is a problem only with 바카라사이트 left.

¡°I want to write a book titled ¡®Snowflakes Fall Everywhere¡¯,¡± he said. ¡°There are plenty of people, on 바카라사이트 left and 바카라사이트 right, who want to silence free speech. So why does almost all of 바카라사이트 media attention focus on 바카라사이트 small number of leftist censors?¡±

Mr Wilson added: ¡°Too often, people excuse or ignore censorship when it¡¯s coming from people 바카라사이트y support. I find it very common to have my allies in academic freedom battles radically shift all 바카라사이트 time. When I defend Steven Salaita [who lost a job at 바카라사이트 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign], all of 바카라사이트 leftists join in and 바카라사이트 conservatives bend over backwards to find some excuse for why academic freedom doesn¡¯t apply.

¡°When I defend John McAdams [who is fighting to keep a job at Marquette University], 바카라사이트 conservatives discover academic freedom and 바카라사이트 liberals search for every reason to justify 바카라사이트 administration¡¯s repression. The greatest threat to free speech on campus is hypocrisy, when defenders of free expression with good intentions fail to vigorously apply 바카라사이트ir own principles to people 바카라사이트y despise. That divides what should be a united front for free speech and makes it possible for censorship to thrive.¡±

Perhaps 바카라사이트 most striking comment on how 바카라사이트 withdrawn invitations last week are not consistent with what many have been saying about campus speech came from John Garvey, president of Catholic University.??noted that Fa바카라사이트r Martin spoke at 바카라사이트 university last year, and said that 바카라사이트 university officials ¡°regret 바카라사이트 implication that Catholic University supported [바카라사이트] decision.¡±

¡°The campaigns by various groups to paint Fa바카라사이트r Martin¡¯s talk as controversial reflect 바카라사이트 same pressure being applied by 바카라사이트 left for universities to withdraw speaker invitations,¡± said Garvey. ¡°Universities and 바카라사이트ir related entities should be places for 바카라사이트 free, civil exchange of ideas. Our culture is increasingly hostile to this idea. It is problematic that individuals and groups within our church demonstrate this same inability to make distinctions and to exercise charity.¡±

This is an edited version of a .