Monday, April 03, 2017
#FreeSpeech in the News: April 3, 2017
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 - this week.
“If there is one constant in the battles over free speech on campus, it’s this: Apologists for intolerance can rarely justify censorship without making stuff up.”
An Army of Straw Men Keeps Campus Intolerance Alive, National Review
"The contention that Trump's 'statement could not have been the proximate cause of any violence' because the statement was 'likely not directed at the crowd' is without merit...plaintiffs plausibly allege that Trump intended for audience members to act on his words."
Trump can’t claim free speech defense in protesters’ lawsuit, Newsweek
“You are either for free speech or you are not, but with this person it was jarring because everything he stands for is against our core values, and we don’t want that reflected on our university in any way.”
Campuses Grapple With Balancing Free Speech and Security After Protests, The New York Times
“This is just one of many manifestations of a paradox Muslims, especially those of us living in the West, face in the modern world: They are threatened by Islamophobic forces against which they need the protections offered by liberalism — freedom of speech, freedom of religion, nondiscrimination. But the same liberalism also brings them realities that most of them find un-Islamic — irreverence toward religion, tolerance of L.G.B.T. people, permissive attitudes on sex. They can’t easily decide, therefore, whether liberalism is good or bad for Muslims.”
Is Free Speech Good for Muslims?, The New York Times
“”In regulating the communication of prices rather than prices themselves,’ Chief Justice Roberts concluded, the New York law ‘regulates speech.’”
Justices Side With Free-Speech Challenge to Credit Card Fees, The New York Times
“The university cannot renounce enlightenment values and continue to be a university.”
Middlebury, My Divided Campus, The New York Times
“One of the biggest challenges will be finding an appropriate balance between protecting anonymity and enforcing consequences for the abusive behavior that has been allowed to characterize online discussions for far too long.”
The Future of Free Speech, Trolls, Anonymity and Fake News Online, Pew Research Center
“The most important thing is that it is the first piece of Canadian legislation that has ever been put forward that actually requires people to use a particular set of words."
Professor Speaks On Free Speech And Political Correctness After Hecklers Try To Shut Down His Event, RealClear Politics
“This fight is about a student’s right to engage in free thinking and debate while attending college in America.”
Pierce College students files ‘free speech zone’ lawsuit, Reuters
“Nineteen U.S. states have introduced bills that would curb freedom of expression and the right to protest since Donald Trump's election as president, an ‘alarming and undemocratic’ trend, U.N. human rights investigators said on Thursday.”
U.N. experts see ‘alarming’ U.S. trend against free speech, protest, Reuters
“At a time when political leaders are promoting ‘alternative facts’ and branding unflattering reporting as ‘fake news,’ we don’t think it’s a good idea to give the government more power to punish speech.”
California ‘fake news’ bill falters amid free speech concerns, The Washington Times
