Kind of makes me think of those who are trying to ban free speech in Universities

@rottenrobi I agree. It concerns me greatly as well. There is no other issue as significant today. As per 1984, the power to control thought is sought by some and they must be stopped at all means necessary.

@okaybut I couldn't agree more, and thank you. A best answer, for this post, means more then usual.

@katielass Glad there are some things we agree upon!

@SW-User Free speech is the most important issue as far as I'm concerned. Without that our other rights can and will be snatched from us and we will not even be allowed to whine about it. I am an old fashioned liberal, and this new left is the very reason i fight so hard against them. They are a danger to our constitution, to our whole way of life. They must be defeated because if they are not, in your lifetime, you will live to regret not shining a ight on them and warning of their danger.

They cite safety issues, but that is an excuse. It's blatant content discrimination. I don't agree with much of what Ann Coulter has to say, but it makes me a little ill that a mob would get to tell me where I am allowed to hear her.@katielass

@Burnley123 Definitely Saudi Arabia could (especially for the Christian right)! It does for me.

When I read this, I thought of Universities because for me they symbolize critical thinking and the freedom to exchange ideas. And I also thought of the thin line between seemingly benign censorship and oppression. In my view we need to fight the root when possible.

@okaybut That is a fair point though (as even this leftist will say) The US Christian right are not as bad as the Saudi regime.

Venezuela is a troubled country, though most of the MSM is focusing on abuses from the left. Which, whilst true, does not reflect everything which is going on.

@SW-User Personally I am against no-platforming because I find it slightly distasteful as a political strategy. I also read your exchange with ynotisay below and he makes good points vis-a-vie free speech. He has some good points about private institutions and the right to select speakers.

I just don't think this is a hugely important issue though. I haven't seen the stats but I doubt this happens more than a dozen times a year in America. When it does it becomes a huge media story and is used to show hypocrisy of 'the left' on free-speech.

Personally, I just don't think its that important, or representative.

@Burnley123 Yes, they do have that right, but when they exercise it against those with views some students find objectionable then they are doing a disservice to the other students and not supporting their own values (most of the time). It has happened at public colleges near me and it's rather sad.

@Burnley123 Interesting...just read this...it is happening in Canada a lot!
http://www.torontosun.com/2017/08/03/was-ryerson-university-pressured-into-cancelling-fatah-speech

@SW-User And I'm going to make my point one last time too. I DON'T FREAKING CARE IF YOU FIND IT OBJECTIONABLE. I happen to find it objectionable too. But what I think is IRRELEVANT to the issue. It is NOT an issue of Free Speech. Period. Full stop. THAT'S my point.

@Ynotisay It's relevant because it's happening not in a vacuum, but in the face of the purported values of said private Universities. Values I share. I've purposefully not used the term "free speech." I have pointed to the traditions of scholasticism, and academic freedom. These are also values (liberal Western values), I share. The term "free speech" encompasses these as well but in terms of how people communicate about values distinct from a stricter legal issue which I acknowledge.

@SW-User Indeed, when a university accepts state money they become a voice of the government and therefore have a constitutional OBLIGATION to protect ALL speech, not just speech the little snowflake fascists want to hear. They may as well be taught a lesson before they get out in the real world and find their head bashed in for acting like a wannabe hitler.

@therighttothink50 The American deep state has been working to overthrow the Venezuela regime for 15 years, including time when Obama was in the WH.