General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: So any speech by anyone must be allowed an audience and center stage at a [View all]MineralMan
(146,288 posts)That's why academic freedom, as a concept, was established.
Here's how I look at Ann Coulter giving a speech in some venue on a campus: I don't care. I've heard Ann Coulter more often that I wished to. If she comes to speak, I won't attend.
However, if she is barred from speaking at this university, anyone else might also be banned, including someone I would like to hear. If the institution can ban one person's expression of ideas, no matter how noxious they might be to some, it can ban anyone it wishes.
Freedom is freedom. Universities are about the open presentation of ideas. Ideas encourage thinking. Ideas are the merchandise of a university. Ann Coulter's ideas are deplorable, in my opinion. In someone else's opinion, ideas that anyone might present might be deplorable.
Ideas are ideas. Expose them all and let people think about them and analyze them.
If Ann Coulter is banned, anyone can be banned. Banning the expression of ideas is a bad idea.