Great article. Principles are so important and so costly. As a society we too often justify the easy or enriched path at the cost of learning strength and resilience and growing our courage.
And consistency, too. As a midshipman (NROTC, not USNA) I remember one of the best leadership lessons I learned from a senior enlisted guy was “be consistent.” He said if you’re naturally an asshole, be an asshole all the time—people can adapt. The worst leaders are those who are inconsistent day to day based on their moods. Consistency in this case is different but equally important.
Agreed--and this is very funny yet sound advice. If you're an asshole on Tuesday, be one on Wednesday too. At least, people know what they're dealing with.
"Where and what was FIRE's position during the last year of free speech turmoil in the USA after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and its aftermath?"
Start here with basic principles:
11/3/23: As Campuses Reel, a Reminder of the First Amendment’s Boundaries
6/6/24: UCLA Claimed That Moving an In-Person Lecture [with Professor Dov Waxman] about October 7 Online was not a Heckler’s Veto. Here’s Why They’re Wrong.
Greg is a friend and I have been a decade-long FIRE donor at the Ember level, despite his perpetuating the myth that Donald Trump called racists at Charlottesville "very fine people" (even leftist fact checkers have debunked it), on page 91 of his book. This is like the captain of the ship blowing holes in the hull while donors bail the boat. He'll have to make much larger mistakes before I bail on him.
"No student may be expelled — or otherwise punished — for expression that is protected by the First Amendment on a public college campus, or by similarly stringent institutional promises on a private college campus. But when students engage in conduct that isn’t protected under the First Amendment — for example, by disrupting events, blocking egress in and out of buildings, engaging in violence, or issuing true threats to others — those actions are not protected by the First Amendment. Institutions must take all reasonable measures to protect students from unprotected conduct that stifles free speech or credibly threatens the physical safety of others."
The problem was not the speech. I found many aspects of those protests despicable, but their right to protest and to speak--utter hateful nonsense, in my view--should be sacrosanct. FIRE rightly stood up for their right to speech. But FIRE did not stand up for the harassment, threats, or blocking access on campus (nor for the double standard that universities applied in policing speech--also despicable). In fact, FIRE explicitly condemned all of those things.
Yup. But that would require, you know, reading our work. Thanks for your patience here. I've run out it for people who can't be bothered to do their due diligence.
Stop whining and post a link to the FIRE document or video that directly addresses the concerns expressed here that your response, whatever it was, was timid, scattershot, and totally ineffective. You know, do YOUR due diligence instead of misdirecting and dissembling.
Surely it was not wrong to support the pro-Hamas demonstrators in making their views known lawfully and without disrupting the freedom of others to pursue their own educational, recreational, and political activities. As I remember things, many marches, protests, and demonstrations put on by these fractious factions stepped WAY over the line and yet, condemnation of their actions and the imposition of consequences due their misbehavior seemed to fall on them light as a feather or not at all. Where and what was FIRE's position during the last year of free speech turmoil in the USA after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and its aftermath?
I don't see quite how a comparison of a free speech non profit vs an established institutional university quite works. The whole point of a free speech on profit is free speech
When comparing to other organizations with customer bases, advertisers, and other stakeholders
Other organisations have very different passengers on their bus(es)
which kind of changes the choice of driving it the bus into the wall
Great article. Principles are so important and so costly. As a society we too often justify the easy or enriched path at the cost of learning strength and resilience and growing our courage.
And consistency, too. As a midshipman (NROTC, not USNA) I remember one of the best leadership lessons I learned from a senior enlisted guy was “be consistent.” He said if you’re naturally an asshole, be an asshole all the time—people can adapt. The worst leaders are those who are inconsistent day to day based on their moods. Consistency in this case is different but equally important.
Agreed--and this is very funny yet sound advice. If you're an asshole on Tuesday, be one on Wednesday too. At least, people know what they're dealing with.
You're the best non-profit bar none, and I admire FIRE--rhymes--more than any organization.
I'm proud to donate what I can each year.
"Where and what was FIRE's position during the last year of free speech turmoil in the USA after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and its aftermath?"
Start here with basic principles:
11/3/23: As Campuses Reel, a Reminder of the First Amendment’s Boundaries
https://www.thefire.org/news/campuses-reel-reminder-first-amendments-boundaries
4/22/24: FIRE Statement on Campus Violence and Arrests
https://www.thefire.org/news/fire-statement-campus-violence-and-arrests
4/29/24: Freedom or Safety? College Admins Don’t Need to Choose.
https://www.thefire.org/news/freedom-or-safety-college-admins-dont-need-choose
5/3/24: Campus Encampment Bans Rarely Violate the First Amendment. Here’s Why.
https://www.thefire.org/news/campus-encampment-bans-rarely-violate-first-amendment-heres-why
* * *
There are many, many articles in FIRE's Newsdesk about specific cases showing how FIRE applies these principles. Here's a few:
4/15/24: No, the Berkeley Law Student Didn’t Have a First Amendment Right to Interrupt the Dean’s [Erwin Chemerinsky] Backyard Party
https://www.thefire.org/news/no-berkeley-law-student-didnt-have-first-amendment-right-interrupt-deans-backyard-party
6/6/24: UCLA Claimed That Moving an In-Person Lecture [with Professor Dov Waxman] about October 7 Online was not a Heckler’s Veto. Here’s Why They’re Wrong.
https://www.thefire.org/news/moving-events-online-due-protests-still-hecklers-veto
4/18/24: A Third of Stanford Students Say Using Violence to Silence Speech can be Acceptable
https://www.thefire.org/news/third-stanford-students-say-using-violence-silence-speech-can-be-acceptable
5/2/24: Administrators must provide fair, consistent procedures for students accused of misconduct.
https://www.thefire.org/news/colleges-punishing-student-protesters-campus-due-process-more-important-ever
11/29/23: FIRE Data Reveals Correlation Between Campus Speech Climate and Israeli-Palestinian Conflict-Related Incidents on Campus
https://www.thefire.org/news/were-campus-tensions-around-israeli-palestinian-conflict-high-october-7
2/23/24: The Recent Concert Cancellations of Jewish Rapper Matisyahu Reflect a Continuing Threat to Free Expression
https://www.thefire.org/news/recent-concert-cancellations-jewish-rapper-matisyahu-reflect-continuing-threat-free-expression
THANK YOU.
I will be recommending your unofficial motto to the Washington Post, in light of the endorsement policy debacle.
Great piece and I am glad to donate. If you're looking at a place where your money can make a difference......this is it.
Yes, thank you! It’s the hardest working nonprofit in ShowBusiness!
Everyone listen to this man.
Greg is a friend and I have been a decade-long FIRE donor at the Ember level, despite his perpetuating the myth that Donald Trump called racists at Charlottesville "very fine people" (even leftist fact checkers have debunked it), on page 91 of his book. This is like the captain of the ship blowing holes in the hull while donors bail the boat. He'll have to make much larger mistakes before I bail on him.
Again, where were you when the screaming mobs intimidated the Jewish kids? You backed the pro-Hamas horde. No thank you.
"No student may be expelled — or otherwise punished — for expression that is protected by the First Amendment on a public college campus, or by similarly stringent institutional promises on a private college campus. But when students engage in conduct that isn’t protected under the First Amendment — for example, by disrupting events, blocking egress in and out of buildings, engaging in violence, or issuing true threats to others — those actions are not protected by the First Amendment. Institutions must take all reasonable measures to protect students from unprotected conduct that stifles free speech or credibly threatens the physical safety of others."
👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
https://www.thefire.org/news/fire-congress-university-presidents-dont-expand-censorship-end-it
The problem was not the speech. I found many aspects of those protests despicable, but their right to protest and to speak--utter hateful nonsense, in my view--should be sacrosanct. FIRE rightly stood up for their right to speech. But FIRE did not stand up for the harassment, threats, or blocking access on campus (nor for the double standard that universities applied in policing speech--also despicable). In fact, FIRE explicitly condemned all of those things.
Yup. But that would require, you know, reading our work. Thanks for your patience here. I've run out it for people who can't be bothered to do their due diligence.
Stop whining and post a link to the FIRE document or video that directly addresses the concerns expressed here that your response, whatever it was, was timid, scattershot, and totally ineffective. You know, do YOUR due diligence instead of misdirecting and dissembling.
Here is Greg calling for Berkeley to expel the students who engaged in actual violence: https://www.thefp.com/p/expel-berkeley-rioters
Here is FIRE defending Berkeley law dean Chemerinsky's right to kick anti-Israel disruptors out of his and his wife's private dinner party: https://www.thefire.org/news/no-berkeley-law-student-didnt-have-first-amendment-right-interrupt-deans-backyard-party
Here is FIRE defending the academic freedom of a JHU professor investigated for comments considered "anti-Palestinian":
https://www.thefire.org/news/johns-hopkins-university-investigates-professor-anti-palestinian-commentary
Here is FIRE condemning the trend of students tearing down pro-Israel posters: https://www.thefire.org/news/tear-down-censorship-not-posters
Here is FIRE defending the academic freedom of a USC professor who was punished for expressing anti-Hamas sentiments:
https://www.thefire.org/news/university-southern-california-relegates-professor-remote-teaching-expressing-anti-hamas
I could post more, but why don't we start with those?
Good question. Where WERE you, FIRE?
Surely it was not wrong to support the pro-Hamas demonstrators in making their views known lawfully and without disrupting the freedom of others to pursue their own educational, recreational, and political activities. As I remember things, many marches, protests, and demonstrations put on by these fractious factions stepped WAY over the line and yet, condemnation of their actions and the imposition of consequences due their misbehavior seemed to fall on them light as a feather or not at all. Where and what was FIRE's position during the last year of free speech turmoil in the USA after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and its aftermath?
You really should read more of what FIRE actually said about this.
So link to the FIRE document or video that cuts to the chase and succinctly and directly addresses the concerns expressed here by myself and others.
See above comment.
Is there something I am missing,
I don't see quite how a comparison of a free speech non profit vs an established institutional university quite works. The whole point of a free speech on profit is free speech
When comparing to other organizations with customer bases, advertisers, and other stakeholders
Other organisations have very different passengers on their bus(es)
which kind of changes the choice of driving it the bus into the wall
Why not? The Dems have already driven it over the cliff.