MIT faculty adopts “Statement on Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom”
I always come back to this exchange between the Yale administrator and the protesting students:<p>Prof: I stand behind free speech; yes, I do.<p>Student 2: Well then that sorry doesn&#x27;t mean anything.<p>Student 3: Even when it&#x27;s offensive?<p>Prof (addressing Stud 3): Even when it&#x27;s offensive. <i>Especially</i> if it&#x27;s offensive. Even if-<p>Stud 3: Even when it denigrates me?<p>Prof: Even when it denigrates you, even though I don&#x27;t agree with the content of the speech. I have the same objections to the speech that you do. The same ones.<p>Stud 2 (interrupting): But it doesn&#x27;t submit(?) afflict to you-<p>Stud 1 (interrupting): But what about the swastika-<p>Prof (cont&#x27;d): But, I defend the right for people to speak their mind.<p>Stud 3: So when the IAC (Intercultural Affairs Council) sends out an email saying...<p>Prof: So who gets to decide what&#x27;s offensive? Who gets to decide guys?<p>Stud 2: When it hurts me!<p>Stud 1: When it&#x27;s offensive to me!<p>Prof: What if everybody says, &quot;I&#x27;m hurt&quot;? Does that mean everyone else has to stop speaking?<p>Student 4: But that&#x27;s not what was happening!<p>Stud 1: No! Because you don&#x27;t- No, but you don&#x27;t under-<p>Prof: Hold on. So I agree with the content of your speech. I am as against racism as you are. I am as against social inequality as you are. I have spent my life addressing these issues, even some of the students in my class can speak out to this, but that is different than the freedom of speech. The right to defend people to say whatever they want including you! Including your right to write what you want and speak to me; which I will also defend.<p>[0] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.reddit.com&#x2F;r&#x2F;videos&#x2F;comments&#x2F;3s5wz2&#x2F;yale_administrators_responds_to_safe_space_hands&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.reddit.com&#x2F;r&#x2F;videos&#x2F;comments&#x2F;3s5wz2&#x2F;yale_adminis...</a>