Yesterday, @glukianoff made the valid and important point that campus free speech is not a partisan issue. Liberals and others on the Left who dismiss it as a conservative trojan horse, or even worse as purely some sort of grift, are mistaken.
That said, just a few quick points.
First, his comments were prompted by this thread by FIRE's Adam Goldstein:
Adam takes a few shots at me, which I respond to here:
First, his comments were prompted by this thread by FIRE's Adam Goldstein:
Adam takes a few shots at me, which I respond to here:
Second, there IS a real problem with conservatives using the issue to advance reforms that have nothing to do with free speech and everything to do with the broader conservative project. See for instance this recent piece.
thehill.com/opinion/educat…
thehill.com/opinion/educat…
I know for a fact that many employees at FIRE are frustrated with the way some conservative activists use their efforts for self-interested political reasons. They've told me so themselves. They see it, they recognize it, and they hate it.
So yes, liberals should stop tarring all campus free speech activists as conservative hacks or associating FIRE with, say, TPUSA.
But here's what I would also like to see: better and more consistent pushback at articles like the one above.
But here's what I would also like to see: better and more consistent pushback at articles like the one above.
FIRE has done this in the past, but their neutrality keeps them largely on the sidelines. That's why others who care passionately about the issue need to make a special effort to chastise those who conflate the cause of free speech with the cause of conservatism.
