On Tues I engaged in free speech activism at my own university, Wilfrid Laurier. The pic below shows me outside the door of the event. The tweets in this thread are an account of what transpired. My hope is that other tenured profs & bold students might employ this model. 1/14 
Via posters around campus and an email alert, I was informed that faculty from one of Laurier’s programs were holding a forum for students at which the necessity of raising the minimum wage to $15 would be promoted.
2/14
2/14
What especially caught my attention was that some of their advertising material stated students would be have the opportunity to be trained as activists against the Ontario Progressive Conservative government (the “Doug Ford government”).
3/14
3/14
As anyone who has followed the "Lindsay" affair knows, faculty—esp. in Arts/Hum—are apt to argue just one side of a debate & have a prob with balanced pedagogy. Recordings & public writings show many promote a Left ideology & censor or demonize ppl & ideas deemed Right.
4/14
4/14
While the $15 min wage has not been an issue for me, fighting the forces of ideological conformity & fostering diversity of opinion on campus is personally of the utmost importance. This forum was an opportunity to expose the one-sidedness that is typical on my campus.
5/14
5/14
I tracked down & ran off numerous academic studies that proved artificially increasing the minimum wage—like what the Ontario’s Libs did before losing their seats—hurts the poorest workers via loss of jobs & reduction in hours. (Sample study here: nber.org/papers/w12663.… ).
6/14
6/14
I had copies of these studies to hand out (a counterpoint to what the students would hear) & I made a sign reading: “If you’re only provided one side of a debate it’s indoctrination not education. Do you wonder what else you’re not being taught?”
7/14
7/14
I waited, off to the side, outside the door of the forum for students to arrive. I would not impinge the free expression of those speaking at the forum; I would be polite & civil. I handed my studies to all who were interested & almost all were.
8/14
8/14
Many students wanted to know more about the meaning of my sign. I told them I was concerned our university doesn’t do a good job of airing both sides of a debate & that the lack of counterpoint at the forum for a $15 minimum wage was just a symptom of a larger problem.
9/14
9/14
Student responses: “OMG, I didn’t know profs like you were on this campus! Are there more?” “I feel so alone. I censor myself constantly in class.” “I’d speak up but I’m afraid it will impact my mark.” “They brought out a petition in open class, I felt pressured to sign."
10/14
10/14
The prof organizing the event arrived & was frustrated by my presence and loudly told me he was not indoctrinating students. I asked him if he had invited a speaker to give the other side or if he had provided students with studies like I’d supplied. He said he had not…
11/14
11/14
...but he didn’t need to b/c newspapers etc. give the other side of the debate. I suggested most students don’t read much news but do attend classes & listen pretty closely b/c their marks depend on it. I suggested his influence over his students was very significant.
12/14
12/14
He didn’t agree so I illustrated saying in Canada it’s illegal for clergy to promote a political ideology from the pulpit b/c in their position of authority they have coercive power. Did he see a similar situation in class? He replied, students are free to ask questions.
13/14
13/14
I’ve since had follow-up from some students. They thanked me for being willing to take a stand—they said they feel less alone. All I could think was: Why haven’t I been doing this for years? My advice to others: the more you do it, the easier it will become.
14/14
14/14
