Watched a speaker get cut off mid-sentence and realized I was the problem

I used to defend free speech on campus until I saw a guy get 3 words into a point about housing costs and a dean shut him down just because he mentioned a controversial group. Made me think: was I actually okay with speech I disagreed with, or just the stuff I liked? Has anyone else caught themselves being a hypocrite like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

henrygrant20d agoTop Commenter

Is it really free speech if the people running the room get to decide when it stops being allowed?

nina_clark20d ago

Wait, hold on - did you say "3 words into a point"? That's wild, like not even a full sentence before the dean slammed it down? That's insane to me. I've been to plenty of town halls and meetings where people ramble for ten minutes before anyone even blinks. Getting shut down after three words is just... that's not even letting someone speak, that's just bullying them into silence before they can even say anything wrong. It makes you wonder if the rule is really about "protecting the discussion" or just making sure nobody rocks the boat. And you're right, it's easy to be okay with free speech when it's your speech or stuff you agree with, but the real test is when someone says something that makes your blood boil. That's when you find out if you actually believe in it or not.