My school used to let anyone speak, now they cancel talks over a single email

Back in 2021, our student group got a pretty out there conservative writer to come to campus with no problem, but last month they pulled the plug on a planned talk by a climate activist because ten people emailed the dean calling her views 'too extreme'. It feels like the rules changed from 'let people talk' to 'only safe ideas are allowed' in just a couple years. Are we just giving up on free speech if a small group gets to decide what we hear?

2 comments

2 Comments

tyler_hunt7211d ago

That shift from "let people talk" to "only safe ideas are allowed" is everywhere now. You see it with local library boards pulling books after a handful of complaints. It's in offices where one person's strong dislike can kill a project. The rule seems to be that the loudest or most upset person wins, even if they're a tiny group. It's less about free speech and more about avoiding any possible complaint, which just makes public life really boring and cautious.

tara_williams111d ago

Yeah, it feels like we're all walking on eggshells now. The goal is just to avoid trouble, not to actually do anything good. Makes you wonder what we're even trying to build anymore.