(from the American Spectator):
By Mark Pulliam
I recently attended a panel discussion at my alma mater, the University of Texas in Austin. The topic was “Free Speech on College Campuses: Where to Draw the Line?” The event, held during Free Speech Week, was co-sponsored by UT’s Division of Diversity and Community Engagement (DDCE), the Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis (IUPRA), and The Opportunity Forum, all funded in whole or in part by the state of Texas. IUPRA’s mission “is to use applied policy research to advocate for the equality of access, opportunity, and choice for African Americans and other populations of color.”
The discussion, led by the Interim Vice-President of DDCE, Leonard Moore, was framed in these terms:
College campuses do not want to become venues for hate speech. However, they also do not want to suppress the expression of free ideas. Recent incidents on college campuses involving controversial speakers have sparked a surge in disruptive and sometimes violent protests by activists. How should college campuses respond to hate speech? What are the constitutional limits on restricting speech on college campuses?
In the wake of recent, highly-publicized incidents at Middlebury, William & Mary, Berkeley, Claremont McKenna, Evergreen State, Texas Southern, and other colleges, the event attracted a large crowd, big enough to fill a lecture hall in the computer science building. CONTINUE READING HERE