Geoffrey R. Stone on the Debate Over Free Speech On Campus (Audio)

Too PC Or Not PC? The Debate Over Free Speech On Campus

On colleges booking controversial speakers

Geoffrey Stone: I think that it is important to understand that the visibility that people like Anne Coulter get is because of the response. If Anne Coulter were invited to come and speak to whatever conservative student group invited her, and she simply came and gave her talk to a relatively small amount of people and nobody fussed over it, it would be of no moment. It would not be controversial, it would not dramatic, it would not have much of an impact. Ultimately, people would stop inviting her and she would stop coming. What’s counterproductive about all of this is that you make people into stories, you give them power, you make everyone read about what they have to say in the newspapers that are writing about the stories of the conflicts. It’s totally counterproductive to be doing this, you are giving them more power.

Read more at 1A