Really, though! I graduated from college in the long-ago days of 1993, and off the top of my head, I can remember quite a wild and wonderful arena of free expression:
- antisemitic black supremacist Leonard Jeffries as a guest speaker - a march through the center of our small college town by the KKK, whose First Amendment rights (but not their beliefs) were defended by the ACLU and local newspapers - environmental groups burning Christopher Columbus in effigy on Columbus Day while dressing as trees to stage an "environmental die-in" - anti-war groups marching against military intervention in the Middle East - a pro-war group marching for more military intervention in the Middle East - the Gideons distributing copies of the New Testament on campus - African-American students holding sit-ins for greater representation in campus institutions - the most prominent gay activist on campus putting on a dress and setting up a "Kiss a Queer" booth at any event where he could claim space - a Roman history professor using his final three-hour lecture each semester to argue against claims of Christian persecution and to inform Christians that their religion was fake
...et al. There was something to infuriate everyone, but few students imagined they should or could shut down speech they disliked. I couldn't have foreseen that I was living through a golden age for free speech on campus.
Okay, now this is newsworthy, and even more pathetic.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in college, there was something potentially offensive to everyone. I guess that's no longer the case.
lolol Jeff and yes
ReplyDeleteReally, though! I graduated from college in the long-ago days of 1993, and off the top of my head, I can remember quite a wild and wonderful arena of free expression:
ReplyDelete- antisemitic black supremacist Leonard Jeffries as a guest speaker
- a march through the center of our small college town by the KKK, whose First Amendment rights (but not their beliefs) were defended by the ACLU and local newspapers
- environmental groups burning Christopher Columbus in effigy on Columbus Day while dressing as trees to stage an "environmental die-in"
- anti-war groups marching against military intervention in the Middle East
- a pro-war group marching for more military intervention in the Middle East
- the Gideons distributing copies of the New Testament on campus
- African-American students holding sit-ins for greater representation in campus institutions
- the most prominent gay activist on campus putting on a dress and setting up a "Kiss a Queer" booth at any event where he could claim space
- a Roman history professor using his final three-hour lecture each semester to argue against claims of Christian persecution and to inform Christians that their religion was fake
...et al. There was something to infuriate everyone, but few students imagined they should or could shut down speech they disliked. I couldn't have foreseen that I was living through a golden age for free speech on campus.