Reading this post from The College Fix, something occurred to me. We lost this free speech fight so long ago because we didn’t push back on the small things. It was over before we even knew we were fighting.
Get this from The College Fix:
A university in Canada has canceled a planned event called “The Stifling of Free Speech on University Campuses.” Ryerson University cited safety concerns for its decision in the wake planned protests against the panel discussion.
The National Post reports that the Aug. 22 event was to host Professor Jordan Peterson, “who rose to prominence after refusing to use students’ preferred pronouns, and journalist Faith Goldy, who works for the far-right Rebel Media. Behavioural scientist Gad Saad and psychologist Oren Amitay rounded out the roster.”
The main opposition to the event was a counter protest called “No Fascists in Our City!” Their Facebook page states that “considering the rise of Nationalism here and abroad we need to show these people and their guests that we will not tolerate their backward nonsense in our city.”
The protesters also reportedly worked with the university’s student government to pressure administrators. Christeen Elizabeth, one of the organizers of the protest, told the Post: “Transphobia is violence, Islamophobia is violence. Violence is contextual. … We can’t be complicit in this.”
The “no fascists” Facebook page was updated after the cancellation announcement to add: “Everyone!!! We got this shut down! Let’s CELEBRATE! And then we’re still going to rally because the fight is not over. Stay tuned for further updates as we learn more. The people united will never be defeated!”
In an email to the Post, Ryerson spokesman Michael Forbes said the event was shut down because campus officials could not keep everyone safe.
As soon as we allowed them to get away with this manure that words are “violence” we were backpedaling. Yes, words can be hurtful. And yes, words can incite violence. But they are not violence in and of themselves. Y’know, the whole sticks and stones thing.
So, according to them, they’re simply acting in self defense with their actual violence against the right’s word violence. And let’s be honest, word violence doesn’t stand much of a chance against actual violence.
On top of that we allowed them to define Islamaphobia and homophobia as anything other than the liberal take on things. If you don’t want to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding BAM! You’re a homophobe. If you think Islam might just have a bit of a violence problem BAM you’re an Islamaphobe. And that’s violence.
So you see, we’re battling uphill on this free speech thing because the left established the rules. Anything anyone on the right says is “violence” which must be met with actual violence. In other words, shutup or else.
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