lily97•2mo ago

So I actually went to the Jordan Peterson talk at UC Berkeley after all the fuss

I figured I should hear him out myself, you know, form my own view. The whole thing was a mess with protesters trying to shout him down, and security had to clear a path just to get people inside. It made me wonder if the loudest voices are deciding who gets a platform for everyone. Has your school ever had a speaker where the protest felt like it blocked more conversation than it started?

3 comments

3 Comments

victorb512mo ago

Oh man, that sounds familiar. My college tried to host a debate on some policy years back, and the protest just turned into a screaming match outside the hall. Nobody could hear the actual arguments, so we all just left with our own opinions reinforced, which felt like the opposite of the point.

milar461mo ago

The Berkeley free speech movement in the 60s actually started with a protest to allow a controversial speaker, not shut one down.

lee7332mo ago

That "screaming match" you saw is the actual point for some people. They don't want a debate, they want to shut it down.