The Random Comic Strip

The Random Comic Strip

Words to live by...

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and to rest afterward."

[Spanish Proverb]

Ius luxuriae publice datum est

(The right to looseness has been officially given)

"Everyone carries a part of society on his shoulders," wrote Ludwig von Mises, "no one is relieved of his share of responsibility by others. And no one can find a safe way for himself if society is sweeping towards destruction. Therefore everyone, in his own interest, must thrust himself vigorously into the intellectual battle."

Apparently, the crossword puzzle that disappeared from the blog, came back.


Friday, April 15, 2016

What Is Going On?


As some of you know, I am a free speech advocate and I have to wonder if our universities and colleges are missing the point.
When I was in my teens, the ACLU went to bat for the American Nazi Party when Skokie, Illinois tried to tried to prevent that organization from holding a parade in the town. Skokie, at the time, had a large population of Jews who had escaped the Holocaust in Nazi Germany.


I sympathized with those Jews but I also sympathized with the Nazi Party in their desire to hold their rally in their desire to exercise their First Amendment rights. Eventually, the Supreme Court ruled in their favor and I gained a new respect for the Court and the ACLU.

But, today, we are hearing about colleges and universities stifling freedom of speech. They talk about how some speech offends some students, specifically "TRUMP 2016" being chalked onto sidewalks and walls. Do these schools understand that even speech that offends is protected by the Constitution? Are they teaching that concept?

I do not like some people who abuse freedom of speech but it does not matter if I am offended. Voltaire is commonly credited with saying, "I Disapprove of What You Say, But I Will Defend to the Death Your Right to Say It." But, apparently, he did not say it. Still, the principle stands and it is one I also stand by.

If you are offended by something someone says or stands for, you have 3 choices: ignore it, refute/rebut it, or repress it.

It appears that colleges are engaging in the third choice.


4 comments:

Tal Hartsfeld said...

Too bad for those colleges.
Refuting/rebutting can be a lot of fun if you have a viable counter-argument.

Douglas said...

Tal, The First Amendment is what I rely on for rebuttal but so many seem to think they must agree with you to have that right. A sort of "a right for me but not for thee."

Tal Hartsfeld said...

There isn't any subject or viewpoint which can't be argued two or more ways.

Douglas said...

Tal, I have done that from time to time: argued both sides (and sometimes more than two sides). I gotta stop listening to the voices in my head.