Via Instapundit.
Eugene Volokh comments and quotes the whole thing.
Here's the part that really bothers me:
"The price of freedom for all to speak is that, at times, everyone
will be subjected to speech and expression that we, ourselves, find
offensive, hateful, vile, hurtful, provocative, and perhaps even evil.
So be it! "
"Law and policy ban only an extremely narrow band of speech and
expression — “yelling ‘fire!’ in a crowded theatre,” for example, and
child pornography. The price we pay to speak our own minds is allowing
others to speak theirs, regardless of how oppositional their views are
to our own. Our Founding Fathers — all white men of privilege, some even
slave owners — got it right when designing the First Amendment of the
Constitution"
*See Mark Steyn's magnificent destruction of this silly, silly misconception here:
"Droning Cliches in a Burning Theatre"
"Having firmly stated my support for freedom of expression, I hasten
to follow with a lesson my mother taught me when I was a small child, a
lesson that has remained with me the rest of my life and that I relay to
our entering students every fall at Convocation."
This is what is known as:
REDUCTO AD MOMSURDUM
"My mother taught me
that just because you can say or do something doesn’t mean that you
should."
"Civility plays an important role in how we choose to exercise
our right to expression."
"We all have the right to say odious things, to
display offensive slogans and placards, and to hurt and disrespect
groups and individuals that disagree with us. The question is: should
we? Should we engage in these behaviors just because we can or because
they serve our political, religious, or personal agendas?"
(First of all, I would say YES, absolutely we should. but back to our main discussion...)
The lectures and demands for "civility" only flow in one direction interestingly enough. From left to right.
When I run the word "civility" through my Academic-Moonbatspeak to English translator, let's see what I get?
Right.
"Civility", that thing that only goes only from left to right and it's their way of saying shut up.
Professors can assault students because of their hurt Pornography Studies feelings about abortion.
Conservatives should shut up, and listen to this so smart egghead professor guy's mommy because CIVILITY!!!!
