Free Speech on Campus: A Better Outcome?

Controversial libertarian scholar Charles Murray spoke at Indiana University yesterday and--guess what!--he was able to finish his speech, and most of the students listened. He encountered some hecklers, most of whom seemed to be outside the lecture hall, but not enough to prevent his presentation. We have had many complaints about conservative speakers being barred from college campuses, so it's only fair to read about Murray's more favorable reception.

IU student Bill Walker commented, “If there’s a liberal protesting, it’s not in their best interest to protest. . . . They could come in here and listen to what he has to say and maybe rebut it.” Good point. When I attended college in the early 1970's, that's how my classmates and I would have handled the situation. 

Let's note that, although I think Murray is a very fine researcher, I cannot agree with everything he says. Some of his opinions seem like non sequiturs; i.e., his most controversial ideas often seem to be the opinions that have the least empirical support. Still, he has much to say that is worth hearing. 

Let's also note that the report linked above goes to the Indiana University student newspaper. This shows, once again, the high quality of journalism found in student papers. One often gets much better insights into college events and controversies from the student news than from the MSM. Not to knock the MSM, but the students bring in-depth understanding of campus happenings. I was on my own college newspaper staff, the Flat Hat, for three years. 

See my earlier posts about free speech on campus here and here. And here. A lot of posts! As a speech professor, I am a big First Amendment type. Let people speak. Let's listen to one another.