Harvard Law argues over extreme speech code

Harvard Law argues over extreme speech code

Multicultural Left implodes. In an extraordinary “town meeting” at Harvard Law School, black students and their allies, in the form of a “Committee on Healthy Diversity,” demanded the prohibition of “offensive” speech, including speech that makes black students feel “uncomfortable.” As this excerpt from the Boston Globe article shows, making a black student feel uncomfortable means telling him that his argument is too abstract.

Yet [Professor Alan] Dershowitz incited even more fury after he challenged a member of the Black Law Students Association to be more specific after the student read a statement reiterating her group’s support for a ‘’discrimination harassment policy’’ that includes penalties. ‘’With all due respect, what you stated is extraordinarily abstract,’’ Dershowitz said. After the student was not able to cite an example of offensive language that could be censured in a speech code, Dershowitz said of the proposal: ‘’That’s like asking someone to first vote for censorship, and then figure out later what is censored. With all due respect, I find that statement unhelpful.’’
His comments brought a stinging rebuke from another Harvard Law star, [Professor Randall] Kennedy, the author of the recent book ‘’Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word.’’ Kennedy reprimanded Dershowitz for purportedly using the sort of insensitive language and tone that upset many students last spring.
‘’I don’t think students should feel embarrassed to have to come back with a response,’’ Kennedy told Dershowitz.
‘’When they come to ask for a speech code, they should be better prepared,’’ Dershowitz said of the black students’ association. ‘’Don’t try to silence me, Randy.’’
Philip B. Heymann, another faculty member on the committee, defended Dershowitz, saying that one part of teaching at an elite law school was challenging students to defend their opinions.
‘’Making someone uncomfortable should not be prohibited,’’ he said.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at November 21, 2002 10:53 AM | Send

Comments

Ever notice something strange about those who squeal for “diversity?” When they encounter someone who thinks differently from themselves, they go beserk.

Posted by: David on November 21, 2002 2:10 PM

David says, “Ever notice something strange about those who squeal for ‘diversity’? When they encounter someone who thinks differently from themselves, they go berserk.”

Naughty-naughty, David — you weren’t supposed to notice that. Remember Orwell’s “We are all equal … but some are more equal than others”? Well “Diversities are all diverse, but some are more diverse than others,” don’t you see!

But you’ll get it completely some day, David. A few years more of non-stop 24-7 exposure to the mainstream media’s Newspeak and you’ll be spouting all the lines with the best of them. Just give it time.

Posted by: Unadorned on November 21, 2002 3:29 PM