Monday, April 23, 2018
#FREESPEECH IN THE NEWS: APRIL 23, 2018
As the Citadel of Free Speech here in Cleveland, we work to protect and promote the basis of our democracy by sharing related stories, commentary, and opinions on free speech in the 21st century. Here's what's making the news – and what you should know about – in the past week.
1.) Aurora library display prompts both hate and censorship claims
A part of a display at the Aurora Public Library in Aurora, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, was removed after backlash from community members.
The poem, “Hijab means Jihad” was said to be satirical, but Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin called it “offensive, divisive and downright prejudice,” adding that is, “should have never seen the light of day.” It was one of 20 poems at the library’s “Placeholders: Photo-Poems” by George Miller, the chairandprofessor of philosophy at Lewis University.
One of the lines in the poem states: “Every kid should be like my kid and snatch a hijab,” written over a Confederate flag.
Proponents of the removal say if satirical, the poem lacked the nuance foranyoutside reader to determine it as such. Opponents say the removal violated the writers’ free speech rights.
2.) Is the professor who bragged she can’t be fired for bad-mouthing Barbara Bush correct?
A professor at California State University at Fresno (Fresno State) is under fire for her Twitter comments posted after the death of Barbara Bush. She has especially raised the question of whether or not tenured professors have the freedom to say what they want on the platform.
Randa Jarrar tweeted comments such as, “I’m happy the witch is dead.” The comments prompted followers to complain about her posts, but she responded that it was her first amendment right to make the comments, her tenure kept her career safe and directed them to complain to the university president.
“It’s a common misconception that academic freedom is absolute,” said Gregory Scholtz, director of the Department of Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Governance of the American Association of University Professors, a group that strongly defends professors’ right to speak as citizens without being sanctioned.
The university president, Joseph Castro, says he is aware of the situation and could not comment, but did say that tenure does not guarantee blanket protections.
3.) Net neutrality is officially dead. Now what?
The net neutrality rules passed in 2015 under the Obama administration are officially dead, as of April 23.
Currentchairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, called the rules “heavy-handed” and “a mistake” and deterred innovation in the broadband world. Tech companies Google and Facebook were against theroll back, stating that the internet was in need of regulations to exist.
Net neutrality was officially rolled back byvoteon December 14, 2017. The rule in place banned broadband providers from blocking or slowing down web traffic. It also prohibited providers from offering “fast lanes” or from accepting money from companies for greater access.
