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Lawrence University vs. Free Thought
Accuracy in Academia ^ | August 10, 2017 | Malcolm A. Kline

Posted on 08/10/2017 9:00:13 AM PDT by Academiadotorg

When Students for Free Thought, a group at Lawrence University, attempted to screen the documentary Can We Take a Joke? on their campus late in the Spring, they discovered that their classmates were not a particularly light-hearted , free thinking bunch.

"Can We Take a Joke? includes footage of incidents where outraged college students shouted down speakers they disagree with," the film's director, Ted Balaker noted in a column distributed by the James C. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.

"Ironically, that's pretty much what happened at the Lawrence screening. Some students shouted at the screen, then a dispute erupted; one student was asked to leave, and organizers stopped the film halfway through the screening." Guess who the university president sided with?

"At the core of our educational mission is the free exchange of ideas, viewpoints, and information; we are committed to productive discussion of issues that are crucially important to every one of us, and to our community as a whole," university president Mark Burstein wrote in a e-mail to the "Lawrence Community" on May 23, 2017. "Moreover," he continued, "while we recognize and support the value of expressing, discussing, and debating ideas, we do not believe that all ideas have equal value."

"We hold equity and the creation of a just society as core principles, and will continue to affirm these in all we do." In other words, he sided with the hecklers.

Perhaps these educated elites need to realize that if you protest a joke too much, you become one.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Philosophy; Political Humor/Cartoons; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: aia; freethought; lawrenceu; lawrenceuniversity; leftismoncampus; liberalfascism
When academics attempt to silence comedians, they only wind up giving them more material.
1 posted on 08/10/2017 9:00:13 AM PDT by Academiadotorg
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To: All
"Moreover," he continued, "while we recognize and support the value of expressing, discussing, and debating ideas, we do not believe that all ideas have equal value."

True enough mr. president man. But all men are free to express their views - however "valuable" - or none are free. I seriously doubt that you have anything of value to say about anything and yet I allow you to speak.

Maybe we should fix that...

2 posted on 08/10/2017 9:09:42 AM PDT by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: Academiadotorg

Leftist fascists have no sense of humor.

The college president paid lip service to free speech then enforced censorship.

Typical leftist.


3 posted on 08/10/2017 9:15:01 AM PDT by joshua c (To disrupt the system, we must disrupt our lives)
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To: joshua c

David Horowitz, who has spent equal time on both sides, says something along the lines of “Inside every Leftist is a totalitarian just screaming to get out.”


4 posted on 08/10/2017 9:28:31 AM PDT by Academiadotorg
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To: Academiadotorg

“Some students shouted at the screen ...”

I admit, I’ve made some assumptions.


5 posted on 08/10/2017 9:50:56 AM PDT by cdcdawg
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To: Academiadotorg

Good little fascists.


6 posted on 08/10/2017 11:01:58 AM PDT by TBP (0bama lies, Granny dies.)
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To: TBP

I wonder if they’d get it if you gave them brown shirts...


7 posted on 08/10/2017 11:36:39 AM PDT by Academiadotorg
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