Trump says he’ll sign executive order for free speech on college campuses

US News & Politics Law and Order
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Not even close.

Brown University — Janet Mock

The TV host and transgender-rights activist withdrew from a speaking event after students protested, not because of the content of Mock’s speech, but because pro-Israel group Hillel cosponsored the lecture.

California State University at Los Angeles — Ben Shapiro

Critics slammed the conservative writer and claimed his proposed lecture— about microaggressions, Black Lives Matter, and safe spaces — was not a debate but an attack. The university revoked his invitation, later allowing Shapiro to come to the campus after he threatened legal action.

“These aren’t diversity warriors,” Shapiro told Breitbart News. “They’re jackbooted thugs.”

University of California at Berkeley — Nicholas Dirks

The chancellor of Berkeley was scheduled to have a public discussion about the value of higher education, but the event was shut down after by students chanted and shouted over him. The protesters stated that he wasn’t doing enough to help black students suffering hardships on campus and that his salary was too high.

University of Chicago — Anita Alvarez

The Cook County, Illinois, state attorney’s speech was interrupted and did not continue because of both student and nonstudent protesters.

Protesters claimed that Alvarez was responsible for “state violence against Black and brown people in the City of Chicago” and failed to charge police officers, according to a press release from Black Lives Matter (BLM) Chicago, The Chicago Maroon reported.

Chicago has a history of extreme mistrust between its African-American community and police enforcement. Most recently, fury over the killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, whom prosecutors claim police shot 16 times, reached Alvarez.

![Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez announces a move by her office to no longer prosecute most cases of misdemeanor marijuana possession involving less than 30 grams on April 20, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. Alvarez also stated that her office will also divert Class 4 felony possession of cannabis and other controlled substances to alternative prosecution programs. In 2014 there were about 25,000 felony and misdemeanor drug cases in the Cook County court system.
Anita Alvarez.

Scott Olson/Getty Images
University of Chicago — Bassem Eid

Students advocating for the Palestinian cause interrupted and shut down the political analyst and human-rights advocate’s speech at the college. Eid, who is himself Palestinian, made comments that were seen as pro-Israel.

“Do not speak on behalf of the Palestinians again!” a student yelled during the event, The Chicago Maroon reported.

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It is of course very difficult to prove that the reason conservatives don’t speak at colleges is the fault of the colleges.

It could be because they charge too high a price for colleges to afford. Or, they don’t apply to speak at colleges. Or any number of reasons.

Also, which conservatives are being blocked from speaking? George Will? Or sean hannity? Is there a difference? Should there be? I’m not sure…

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Well, freedom of speech includes the freedom to protest speakers, right?

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But not to stop them.

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Do you agree it’s the provenance of the school to decide what their customers want to hear?

If, for example, you were the he’d of a country club. And you scheduled an event featuring a free form improvisational spoken word poet as the entertainment for an event and your members complained loudly and often, is it your right to cancel that performance?

I recognize that the idea that the students are there for an education, and that they, presumably, don’t know EVERYTHING yet, and therefore might need to be shown some stuff they don’t realize they should know, but the question remains…do they have the right, if they think it’s in the best interest of their students, to cancel or change speaking engagements?

Or, should some government bureaucrat be making the decision as to what american students are exposed to?

Do you - pardon me for assuming - as a conservative trust the federal government more than the directors of private (and some public) institutions to deliver what their students need?

If yes, do you also presume the federal government would know best what employees of say Goldman Sack or Amazon, should be offered in the way of emloyee education?

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So… you representing swing shift now until the next prag comes to work?

My views are documented here already.

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Really?

So much for a balance viewpoint and education if you believe that story.

Fortunately I sent my daughter to a private college without the liberalism that infects state colleges today.

I would hope they would allow varying points of views so the students can make up their own minds or isn’t that part of critical thinking skills???

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I have not read all your posts in this thread. You responded to one of my posts, and so I am engaging you in conversation, with that response as the starting point.

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And who decides what a the right mix of views is?

I don’t disagree at all with the general notion that colleges should present a varied view of issues. I am just puzzled about the logistics of this EO. Who will decide who should speak? the federal government?

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Apparent the universities decide as they cancel anyone with a right side opinion.

I’m thankful I had the ability to send my daughter to a private college where all opinions were heard.

Some say it aids in forming a balanced opinion on issues when you hear both sides.

Trumps intervention is because the elitists in the universities tend to suppress opinions they chose. Hint it’s not the opinion of the left.

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I understand the argument, and am sympathetic to the desire to have a balanced presentation of ideas. I’m simply asking:

  • Why does the federal government know how to achieve this better than those who run the institutions?
  • Who in the federal government will be making the decisions on who will speak where? Will this be a political appointed position?
  • Should there be federal oversight over other private industries and their speakers and educational material?
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I’ll add another question:

  • Who in teh federal government studied this issue beyond anecdotal headlines and determined it was really a problem?
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Trump is taking action. That is all that matters. At officer training school, i was taught that a leader may not always do the right thing, but they DO SOMETHING.

it kinda runs counter to my nature since I get wrapped around the axle asking questions like the libs do. But that is partly why I became a research engineer and not a combat officer. Trump is not like me and that is a good thing.

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Perhaps they are assisting in balancing the opinions on campus. Doesn’t;t this say it all:
he intends to sign an executive order mandating colleges and universities take steps to guarantee free speech to attain federal research grants.
Either the university allow free speech, both sides of the story or they lose Federal Grants. The government doesn’t intend to dictate who speaks at the universities just insure they no longer reject or cancel some speakers.

Better than nothing wouldn’t you say???

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How many of these instance was it school officials who infringed on the speech of conservatives? Every one of these is the student body protesting.

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What evidence is there that school officials infringe on the 1A rights of conservatives? You posted a series of “evidence” but in each case it was the student body that didn’t agree with the views… not the school banning conservatives.

Why do you feel that the government needs to step in here?

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No. simply doing something doesn’t make that action “good” or “necessary”. You should want your CiC solving real issues not making them up.

This isn’t an issue… conservatives can speak where they are accepted. If a university bans a conservative simply because they are conservative, then we may have a discussion.

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You are a middle manager in some company. You are not a real leader. You surely show no evidence of leadership training. Your opinion on leadership is irrelevant.

Oh… and Trump does not need your approval to write an EO.

Go troll elsewhere.

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Not sure how you can assess leadership qualities on a political forum… but whatever makes you feel better.

Where did I say he required my approval? I can’t comment on the stupidity of the EO if Trump isn’t listening?

Darn

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…but how?

IOW - and I posted this before - can they to cancel say a speaker from ISIS coming to recruit on campus? And if they can cancel that, who decides that’s ok, but cancelling other people isn’t?

Will there be a federal department that approves speakers for colleges? How will this work?