Free Speech Not Free for All

Free Speech Not Free for All

Commentary by Sanford D. Horn

April 25, 2017

Thank G-d former Vermont Governor Howard Dean did not win the presidential election of 2004 – you know, the candidate made infamous by his blood curdling scream upon his third place finish in the Iowa Caucuses.

It seems the former governor and chair of the DNC is in need of remedial classes on the United States Constitution, particularly the First Amendment. Dean recently condemned the upcoming speech by conservative writer and commentator Ann Coulter saying the University of California-Berkeley had every right to cancel her engagement because “hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment.”

First, Mr. Dean, who defines hate speech? What is hateful to you may not be hateful to me and vice versa. Are you the arbiter of what hate speech is? On the other hand, I am no more the arbiter of what hate speech is any more than Mr. Dean. We are on opposite sides of the political spectrum, and I would ascertain that were our opinions of what hate speech is, the end of free speech would be upon us as a so-called civilization.

But Dean is merely a symptom of a greater problem – that free speech for all on college campuses creates a free-for-all amongst apoplectic liberal anarchists who believe it is their right to prevent conservatives from speaking on their sacred campuses, by any means necessary. Simply see the violence perpetrated by lefty-loons upon the visit of conservative political scientist Charles Murray to Middlebury College in Dean’s home state of Vermont.

See also the violence at Berkeley in February, to the tune of $100,000 in damages when conservative Milo Yiannapolis was slated to speak. Now, with Coulter scheduled for April 27, UC Chancellor Nicholas Dirks took it upon himself to cancel her speaking engagement fearing for her safety. This at the “home of the free speech movement,” said Dirks when suggesting Ms. Coulter would not be safe on campus.

Dirks and his security team have a responsibility to ensure the safety of all who visit the UC-Berkeley campus. By disallowing Coulter, Dirks is surrendering his campus (as if it had not already been) to the far-left, who ironically lead the “be tolerant of everybody and everything unless it is conservative” movement. They are truly hypocritical. Even senators Bernie Sanders (S-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) support Coulter’s right to speak at Berkeley.

Free speech is for all Americans and should be protected. It’s easy to support speech with which we agree, but the real challenge is to support that which we disagree. And boy, are those campus cupcakes challenged. These anarchists will stop at nothing to shut down any conservative voice, again, by any means necessary. Of what are they really afraid? The real hate speech is derived by the anarchists with their threats and acts of violence.

Former San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick ruffled a lot of feathers during the 2016 NFL season by opting not to stand during the National Anthem. This spurred many a debate. I thought it was wrong, disrespectful, and offensive of Kaepernick to take a knee, but was his right to do so. The now unemployed football player was recently named one of the 100 most influential people by Time. Does anybody still read that magazine?

After some mild outrage and threats of law suits, Dirks wanted to move Coulter’s speech to May 2, but Coulter rejected that notion. She said that date is unacceptable; the reasons are unimportant, and said she still plans on keeping her original speaking date. I hope she does, and that a huge throng turns out to hear her speech – from both sides of the aisle. Let them agree to disagree and then debate the issues in a civilized, non-violent manner. After all, the answer to objectionable speech is not silence and violence, but more speech. The right must inspire thinking on every campus across the fruited plain by inviting as many conservatives to speak as possible. The intolerant anarchists will continue to out themselves for what they are.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.

Cougars Cage Free Speech at UH

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." – James Madison

Cougars Cage Free Speech at UH

Commentary by Sanford D. Horn

September 1, 2016

Last time I looked, my copy of the United States Constitution included the First Amendment – that’s the one granting we the people freedom of speech and expression. How about your copies?

Apparently at the University of Houston the First Amendment has been erased from their copy of the Constitution, and Student Government Association Vice President Rohini Sethi has been targeted and punished for exercising her rights as found in that pesky amendment.

Following the slaughter of five Dallas police officers, Sethi took to Facebook and wrote “Forget #BlackLivesMatter, more like #AllLivesMatter.” For her brazenness in suggesting that the lives of all people, regardless of skin color, should actually matter, Sethi was chastised by fellow University of Houston students as “incredibly offensive and hateful.” (Yet another example of the denial of honor to the murdered Dallas police officers: http://sanfordspeaksout.blogspot.com/2016/08/nfl-throws-flag-on-dallas-decal.html)

Sethi was then called to the carpet and subjected to unilateral punishment meted out by SGA President Shane Smith. Smith was granted this one-time power by the student senate to determine Sethi’s penance. For exercising her First Amendment freedom of speech and expression, Sethi is now being subjected to the following sanctions:

-       A 50 day suspension from the SGA which bars her from participating in group activities;

-       Sethi must attend three cultural events per month;

-       Sethi must write a reflection letter (upon reflection, Sethi should not have apologized for the initial post nor removed it);

-       Sethi must make a public presentation before a student senate meeting on September 28; and

-       Sethi must attend a diversity workshop.

Sethi could lose her position with the SGA should she not comply with all the demands as prescribed by the totalitarian Smith. One must wonder if Smith has an ax to grind against Sethi for imposing such harsh sanctions for simply expressing herself in a legal and peaceful manner. She threatened no one; offered an inclusive posting on social media designed to inculcate others that there is a bigger picture than Black Lives Matter, an increasingly violent and hate-filled group. Apparently to Smith only black lives matter.

The punishments saddled against Sethi are imposed solely by the SGA and not the school, according to a statement released by the University of Houston. The SGA is subject to its own governance, the school takes no responsibility, and makes no comment on the severity of a punishment imposed by a single individual, said the weak-kneed university administration.

Sethi said and wrote that while disagreeing with the punishment, she will abide by Smith’s pronunciation.

Yet while Sethi, independent of the SGA, and on her own volition, wrote the Facebook post replete with iron-fisted reprimand, a Twitter feed called #RemoveRohini, a Black Student Union creation, and trending with vicious, hate-filled invective vilifying Sethi, was ignored by the SGA. Note that the Black Student Union receives university funding from the 43,000 person student body.

Clearly the double standard is in full force at the University of Houston as the Black Student Union is entitled to enjoy its First Amendment rights, but not Rohini Sethi, where such freedoms have been suspended. Common sense has also been suspended on the Houston campus.

For alumni who support Sethi and her First Amendment rights, call President Renu Khator at 713-743-8820 and politely encourage her to step in and be the voice of reasonable discourse. Let the university understand how quickly alumni donations dry up when alumni and the Constitution of the United States are ignored.

Not only should Sethi not be subjected to such Draconian measures, an open debate sponsored by the Student Government Association should occur where students can opine without recriminations. A free and open exchange of ideas in public, not hiding behind social media for cowards to spout off anonymously, is what a university should endorse. To do less would deny tuition-paying students the real college experience.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.