OPINION: Liberals need to let conservatives talk – N.C. State University Technician Online
Recently at University of California-Berkeley, Milo Yiannopoulos was set to give a talk about cultural appropriation and he had to be evacuated by his security detail and police, who feared that he was in danger because of protests that broke out on the campus. Since this event took place, I have heard many liberals argue that Yiannopoulos should not be afforded the right to speak on Berkeleys campus, or any campus. As a liberal I find this to be a shocking response and an absolute betrayal of the liberal principles that I believe in. Despite the fact that I am a liberal and I disagree with much of Yiannopoulos thoughts on a variety of issues, I think it is fundamentally important that his right to say what he thinks is protected.
I am certainly sympathetic to the protesters who find Yiannopoulos presence inappropriate. At this time, possibly more than any other time in my life I think it is reasonable for liberals to be on their guard and maybe even to feel sensitive. However, the idea that I would feel it necessary to defend free speech is pretty surprising to me. I dont find it necessary to point out why free speech is inherently a good thing. I think most people know its benefits. I dont think liberals are reacting so strongly to Yiannopoulos speech because they dont see the merit in free speech, but rather because they are scared of his ideas. They shouldnt be. So instead of listing the benefits of free speech we all already know, I would put forward this question: If you think that your ideas are better, or even the correct ones, then why are you afraid of having a debate? I think it may be reasonable to say that if you want to stand behind a liberal idea, lets say in this case the idea of cultural appropriation, then stand behind it. If you really think that it will fail when challenged by a conservatives viewpoint, then why do you support it in the first place?
One thing that I have heard liberals say about this issue that I find particularly concerning is this idea of normalizing hate speech as free speech. I am not taking sides on whether what Yiannopoulos says is hate speech or not, as that is not the point I am interested in making. The idea that something can be normalized as free speech is an oxymoron, necessarily. This statement implies that there is something that can be said that also does not fall under the category of free speech. This obviously would not be any serious kind of free speech. A freedom to say anything you want except for a few things is but a mockery of free speech and should be seen for the farce it is.
Now, if liberals are not concerned with maintaining free speech because of its merits alone and if they want to limit access to free speech in an effort to protect the marginalized minorities, then they are still making a mistake. If ignoring the benefits of free speech, it may seem like a good idea to limit the speech of someone like Yiannopoulos, who argues for the conservatives because you want to protect those groups that lack power in our society. Thats a laudable goal if there ever was one, but unfortunately I think even that fails to provide justification for limiting Yiannopoulos free speech. This is because as soon as we put limiting free speech on the table, it is not the groups out of power who will be able to use it generally; it is those groups that already have power who can use it to maintain that power. History is riddled with examples of power groups limiting the civil rights of others, including free speech, to maintain their dominance. Unless you want to return to a time like the Red Scare, where the spreading of communist literature can be compared to yelling Fire! in a crowded theatre, then it may be a better idea to not let the idea of removing free speech ever to be seen as legitimate, even if it helps those who are marginalized at first glance.
See the original post here:
OPINION: Liberals need to let conservatives talk - N.C. State University Technician Online
- Canada Liberals to vote on Trudeau's successor as trade war with US heats up - FRANCE 24 English - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- The Liberals are on the verge of a remarkable comeback. Theres one thing the new leader must do to clinch a win - Toronto Star - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- The Liberals Choose a Leader in the Shadow of Trumps Threats - The New York Times - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Liberals to turn the page on the Justin Trudeau era as party selects successor - CTV News - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Tesla, Inc. (TSLA): Jim Cramer Warns Liberals Arent Buying Their Cars! - Yahoo Finance - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Canada Liberals to reveal Trudeaus successor amid trade war with US - The News International - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Disgusting, Ugly Liberals Try To Smear Riley Gaines For The Dumbest Reason Possible - Outkick - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- The Liberals are about to choose the next prime minister. What happens next? - CTV News - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Canada's ruling Liberals move on from Trudeau with Trump boost - Reuters - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Liberals torch trash Gavin Newsom for launching podcast with Charlie Kirk interview - The Independent - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Canadas Liberals were heading into a crushing defeat. Then came Trump. - The Washington Post - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Carson Jerema: Free trade is dead. Someone should tell the Liberals - National Post - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Austrian liberals' vote removes last obstacle to coalition government - Reuters - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Gould hoping progressive Liberals will propel her to party leadership - iPolitics.ca - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Liberals torch trash Gavin Newsom for launching podcast with Charlie Kirk interview - AOL - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Opposition PCs hammer NL Liberals on health cuts to hit savings goal - SaltWire N.L. powered by The Telegram - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Gavin Newsom splits from California liberals and condemns transgender athletes in women's sport in chat with C - Daily Mail - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- Analysis-Canada's ruling Liberals move on from Trudeau with Trump boost - MSN - March 7th, 2025 [March 7th, 2025]
- An Emotional Torture Chamber for Liberals: 3 Writers on Trumps First Month - The New York Times - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- What conservative women know and liberals don't about happiness | Opinion - USA TODAY - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- What conservative women know and liberals don't about happiness | Opinion - Institute for Family Studies - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Liberals', conservatives' trust in US government's use of digital health data diverged during COVID - University of Minnesota Twin Cities - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- The changing face of gun ownership... Liberals reveal the bold reasons they're taking up arms - Daily Mail - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Omar El Akkad on Genocide, Complicit Liberals, and the Terrible Wrath of the West - Literary Hub - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- WA Liberals' Albany candidate Thomas Brough back in spotlight over abortion comments - ABC News - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- John Ivison: Why Conservatives say they arent sweating the Liberals Lazarus-like revival - National Post - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Liberals top Tories for 1st time in years, new Ipsos polling says - Global News Toronto - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Why White Christian Nationalists are Freaked out: Liberals are More likely to be Non-Religious than Christian - Informed Comment - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- The Week in Polling: Liberals gaining fast on the Conservatives; Canadians think Trump is serious about the 51st state; Carney not far ahead of... - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Letters to the editor, Feb. 27: One of my greatest regrets is voting for the Liberals in the last election - The Globe and Mail - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- How the shattered German Liberals will be shaped from Brussels - EURACTIV - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Preston Manning: The Liberals' disingenuous deathbed conversion in the face of Trump tariffs - National Post - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Opinion: Before electing Mark Carney as leader, the Liberals should pause for a moment of reflection - The Globe and Mail - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- New poll puts Liberals ahead of the Conservatives for the first time since 2021 - CityNews Vancouver - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- There could have been a better result Liberals regain official party status but remain in third place - iPolitics.ca - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- FIRST READING: The most telling indicator that the Liberals remain doomed - National Post - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- CPACs MAGAfest returns to rub it in the faces of DCs liberals - The Independent - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Austrian liberals join talks on forming a centrist coalition government - Reuters - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Conservatives and liberals will give free theater performance at local church - Decaturish.com - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Liberals loved this earnest Kate McKinnon moment on SNL but Lorne Michaels wasnt a big fan - New York Post - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Liberals need to take a chill pill for Trump headaches and other opinions you read most - Yahoo - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- WA Liberals endure bruising week as election race gets tough - ABC News - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Some Liberals say mistakes costing party, while others defend campaign team punching above its weight - iPolitics.ca - February 23rd, 2025 [February 23rd, 2025]
- Liberals have me worried. Their fury and stress is hurting someone. It isn't Trump. | Opinion - The Columbus Dispatch - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- The boom of in vitro fertilization in Poland after the return of the Liberals to power - Le Monde - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Jon Stewart reveals the anti-Trump insult he's sick of liberals using and warns it has lost its power - Daily Mail - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- The Guilting of the Liberals - lareviewofbooks - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Teslas Used to Be Cool. For Liberals, Now They're Anything But - Newsweek - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Michel Maisonneuve: Only an election can save Canada from the old, tired Liberals - National Post - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Inside Winnipeg Politics: Could the Liberals really win again? - Winnipeg Sun - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Letter: Canada cannot afford to re-elect the Liberals - Cowichan Valley Citizen - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Opposition MPs criticize Liberals for failing to rein in record federal spending on outsourcing - The Globe and Mail - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Federal vote intention tightens to near-tie as Liberals and New Democrats rally around Carney - Angus Reid Institute - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Meet the new Liberals. Same as the old Liberals - The Globe and Mail - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Bell: What's up Canada? Liberals could win the election, are you nuts? - Calgary Herald - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Liberals are up 7 in a month, but the Conservatives still hold a 19-point lead - inFocus with David Coletto - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Liberals will soon pick the next prime minister. Here's what candidates are promising - CBC.ca - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- You may not like Trump. But his attempts to seize the Fed contain a lesson for liberals | Leah Downey - The Guardian - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Liberals will soon pick the next prime minister. Here's what candidates are promising - MSN - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Doctor compares liberals reaction to President Trump to Americas shock after 9/11 attacks: It is affecting their lives - New York Post - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Liberals would be tied with Conservatives with Carney as leader: poll - National Post - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- For Israeli liberals, Trumps a double-edged sword - The Times of Israel - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Canadians are focused on the here and now: Darrell Bricker on what accounts for the Liberals polling resurgence - The Hub - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- GOLDSTEIN: Federal Liberals can't be trusted with the economy - Toronto Sun - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- NDP, Liberals ask integrity commissioner to probe Ford's anti-tariff trip to Washington, D.C. - Yahoo News Canada - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Conservatives still frontrunners but hemorrhaging support to Liberals: Nanos survey - CTV News - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Terry Newman: Ontario Liberals stalked by the ghost of Kathleen Wynne - National Post - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Radical rights mission is to wind up liberals - The Times - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- PODCAST: Have the Liberals given up on Sault Ste. Marie? - SooToday - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Michael Higgins: Finally, the Liberals start tackling the scourge of fentanyl - National Post - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Where are they? Liberals, Greens remain Ontario election no-shows in Windsor-Essex - Windsor Star - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Nunavut MP calls on Liberals to extend Inuit child funding program - EverythingGP - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Nunavut MP calls on Liberals to extend Inuit child funding program - pentictonherald.ca - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Morning Update: PC Party, Liberals promise to take over LRT if they win election - CTV News - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- In Israel, Even the Liberals Love Trump. This Is Why - Haaretz - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- FIRST READING: The Liberals' extremely low-barrier plan to pick the next prime minister - National Post - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Young families grappling with the cost of living are the focus of policies announced by WA Labor and Liberals in upcoming state election - MSN - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Trump should send a bouquet of flowers to the Liberals: Poilievre - CTV News - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Allan R. Gregg: 1993 redux? Not necessarily. How the failing Liberals may just win again - The Hub - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Letters: Liberals can't be trusted to navigate Trump's tariffs - National Post - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]