Fascism on Campus

My liberal friends tell me that conservatives want to squelch free speech.

Coulda fooled me!

“I’ve spoken at Emory University several times and I’ve never seen it this bad,” said Horowitz responding to the crowd as they shouted and jeered. “This is exactly what the fascists did in Germany in the 1930s.” The loud chants, sign-waving, and disruptive gestures continued to escalate from audience members until the atmosphere was so chaotic that even the police present were unable to subdue the crowd. Horowitz was led off stage and left the campus under tight security, and the event came to an abrupt end. After Senior Vice Provost for Community and Diversity Ozzie Harris announced that audience members should sit down and let the speech continue or risk being forcibly removed, protesters shouted, “Everybody stand up, they can't take us all!” and “Stand up in solidarity!” At the end, when Horowitz’ speech could no longer continue, chants of “This is what democracy looks like” shot up throughout the audience.

Comments

[Greg]

I am curious as to how this story dismisses anyone's thinking that conservatives want to limit free speech? This story shows people booing and shouting down debunked idiot David Horowitz, yet I do not see how any of this disproves the so-called assumption of conservatives efforts to limit free speech. If anything it, points to uncouth actions on both sides of the spectrum, yet does nothing to disprove the previous assumption. In my opinion what happened to him was mild compared to the reception Andy Card got at UMASS. For those hwow never saw Card's reception, if can be viewed here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp4MYii7MqA

[Peg]

My point - which I apparently did not make clear, Greg - is that some on the left are all too happy to stop speech with which they disagree.

The people stopping Horowitz from speaking were not conservatives. And - make no mistake; Horowitz surely was prevented from speaking.

[Greg]

I understand your point, but it does not deal anything with the statement:

"My liberal friends tell me that conservatives want to squelch free speech."

Now if the statement was satirical in nature, then I understand. Yet can you also acknowledge that the same actions are also seen by those on the right? Or is it only the left that does so? As always you only point out the action of those you disagree with, and fail to point out the same horrible actions of those of the right. It should be noted that I pointed out that the action in this case was uncouth and wrong.

I personally think Horowitz is a racist nut, and by allowing him to speak his racist, misguided monologue one can clearly see what a nut he truly is. Every time I have viewed him on television and debate with anyone who has half a clue, this has been proven true. Though I vehemently disagree with him, I think he should be allowed to speak to show his true light.

'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.'

-Abraham Lincoln

If anyone cares to watch clips of Horowitz making a fool of himself they can view multiple clips of him here:
http://www.mediamatters.org/issues_topics/people/davidhorowitz?sort=video

Now if you really want to see an clear example of squelching free speech taken to an extreme by the conservatives rent the movie "Shut Up and Sing".

[Peg]

And perhaps you should read this, Greg:

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=27726_Horowitz_Denounces_BNP_at_Michigan_State&only