Category:Free Speech
Anonymity: The Greatest Weapon Against Oppression
October 27, 2016 | Video
“Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority” – Justice Paul Stevens When we think of anonymity on the internet, we often think of the negatives. Trolls say horrible things because they can hide behind a screen, but you might not know that anonymity is also a quintessential part of our functioning democracy.
Media Censorship: When Gay And Lesbian Content Was Illegal
October 18, 2016 | Video
Harvard Professor Michael Bronski explains what led to the pivotal moment when the Supreme Court ruled that discussing homosexuality was “okay.” Unfortunately there was actually a time when magazines with “gay or lesbian content”– not pornographic content– were censored by the Post Office. This era was a dark time for the LGBTQ community, when any […]
How The State Legislated Against The LGBT Community
October 11, 2016 | Video
If a woman walked down the street in the 1950’s wearing men’s shoes, pants, a fedora, and a wristwatch, she could be arrested, fined, or even put in jail. Why? Because her attire violated “Three-Piece Laws,” which in many states forbade men and women from wearing more than three articles of clothing associated with the […]
What Cannabis Activism And Free Speech Activism Have in Common
September 29, 2016 | Post
The freedom to express ourselves implies a freedom to imbibe potentially harmful substances.
Colin Kaepernick's Protest Is What Makes America Unique
September 22, 2016 | Post
Kaepernick is engaging in a uniquely American way of making his belief’s known. He’s standing up for a cause he believes in, and in doing so he is using his platform and privilege to amplify an important message. For this he should be celebrated and defended, not shouted down and diminished.
Rubin Report and Learn Liberty Fight for Free Speech
September 21, 2016 | Video
We’re joining forces once a month with Learn Liberty to strengthen our commitment to furthering classical liberal ideas and free speech!
Are Novels Cultural Appropriation?
September 18, 2016 | Post
Author Lionel Shriver’s keynote address at the recent Brisbane Writer’s Festival has sparked heavy criticism. Shriver, best known for her book “We Need To Talk About Kevin”, spoke out against criticisms of authors based on cultural appropriation. The concept of cultural appropriation is divisive: some view it as oppression by majorities who adopt or appropriate […]
Are Giant Rats Free Speech?
September 13, 2016 | Post
Are giant rats free speech? This is the question at the heart of an ongoing suit in against the town of Grand Chute, Wisconsin. As a form of protest, unions will place giant, inflatable “union rats” in front of businesses they have disputes with. In Grand Chute, the town ordered that one of these rats […]
YouTube's Attempt to Protect Viewers From Controversial Opinions Will Backfire
September 9, 2016 | Post
YouTube is effectively censoring video content by barring videos that depict controversial subjects from collecting advertising revenue.
Colin Kaepernick and the Freedom Not to Speak
September 7, 2016 | Post
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has sparked controversy by choosing not to stand for the national anthem. Despite shock and outrage, Kaepernick has defended this decision, telling NFL media: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To […]
Dear France, Stop Encouraging Terrorism and Oppressing Women
September 5, 2016 | Post
A woman who chooses to wear a burqa, burkini, or headscarf is exercising her right to dress herself how she wishes—the same right enjoyed by women who wear bikinis or even nothing at all on French beaches. French authorities aren’t liberating Muslim women by forcing them to change their clothes. They’re oppressing them.
How Free Speech Protects Property
September 3, 2016 | Post
Does a ban on signs on the beach infringe on property rights? Edward and DeLanie Goodwin, in partnership with the Pacific Legal Foundation, argue that it does, and have filed a lawsuit with Walden County, Florida. Walden County recently banned all signs on private beach property—this includes “Private Property” and “No Trespassing” signs meant to […]
Will This News Stop You From Protesting?
August 31, 2016 | Post
Earlier this month, the FBI released footage of the protests in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray filmed from the Bureau’s surveillance aircraft. While the FBI spy planes were called in to help police deal with the violent riots which broke out in Baltimore, the FBI also recorded hours of footage of peaceful daytime […]
How to Deal with a Non-Violent Bigot
August 23, 2016 | Post
Libertarians have been quick to criticize the growing movement on college campuses to protect students from unsettling or offensive opinions. It would be wise not to swing too far to the other direction into the arms of bigots.
What’s Controversial Today May be a Classic Tomorrow
August 13, 2016 | Post
Feminists begin to turn on their own when some deviate from the feminist party line. Professor Laura Kipnis details her experience with campus censors in this Learn Liberty video.
Professor: Feminism Is Teaching Women to Become Vulnerable, Not Empowered
August 12, 2016 | Post
Professor Laura Kipnis argues that modern day feminism is actually leading to the “disempowerment” of women.
The Difference Between Microaggressions and Hate Speech
August 12, 2016 | Post
Is asking someone, “Where are you from?” an example of microaggression? These days, it’s unclear. In general, people generally apply the term microaggression to describe subtle or perceived insults on socially marginalized groups. It’s such a vague term, however, that is often used to label behavior that could mean anything—or nothing at all. Nevertheless, in […]
Student Censorship – Free Speech on Campus Ep 6
August 12, 2016 | Video
Some of professor Laura Kipnis’ students thought she should be fired over writing a controversial essay. Here’s her take on standing up to censorship and writing the truth as she sees it.
Campus Feminism – Free Speech on Campus, Ep. 5
August 10, 2016 | Video
The form of feminism that has emerged on college campuses recently may not be so beneficial for women. Professor Laura Kipnis of Northwestern University shares her views on the direction of modern feminism on campus, and the difference between a feminism that’s about vulnerability and a feminism about liberation.
Hate Speech & Microagressions – Free Speech on Campus, Ep. 4
August 8, 2016 | Video
“People who target minorities don’t have a place in this community and should be expelled.” Can you believe in free speech and still have this stance on hate speech? Professor Laura Kipnis of Northwestern University explains the difference between hate speech and microagressions and how they should be handled on campus.
College Professor Writes “Sexual Paranoia” Essay, Is Put Under Title IX Investigation
August 6, 2016 | Post
Northwestern University—like many universities around the country—recently banned consensual relations between faculty and students. In response to this decision, Northwestern Professor Laura Kipnis wrote an ironic essay highlighting all the professors married to former students on the campus and at other campuses around the country. In the Learn Liberty video below, Professor Kipnis discusses the […]
Comedians Avoid College Campuses, Thanks to Free Speech Crackdown
August 6, 2016 | Post
Numerous top comedians have said that they refuse to perform on college campuses because of their chilling climate on free speech. When even noncontroversial comedians like Jerry “What’s the deal with Ovaltine?” Seinfeld refuse to perform for college students, you know just how bad the situation has become. In the Learn Liberty video below, Northwestern […]
The Right to Be Offended Allows Us to Conquer the Very Things That Offend Us
August 5, 2016 | Post
Limits on free speech are often justified to prevent people from offending others. But to paraphrase Nietzsche, if we can overcome what offends us, it makes us stronger. In the Learn Liberty video below, Northwestern University Professor Laura Kipnis explains how being offended can actually be an intellectual exercise which allows us to explore the […]
Protesting on Campus – Free Speech on Campus, Ep. 3
August 5, 2016 | Video
In the third episode of Free Speech on Campus, Laura recounts when students organized a protest against her for writing an offensive paper. Kipnis goes on to explain how lack of tenure is hurting education.