On Monday, Young America’s Foundation had a historic victory in federal court against a number of unconstitutional speech restrictions that the University of California, Berkeley, attempted to place on speeches by Ann Coulter and Ben Shapiro, including security costs and a so-called “heckler’s veto,” which allowed students to shut down speakers they disagreed with by yelling loudly during their speech.
In a settlement reached with YAF, UC Berkeley agreed to rescind a number of their unconstitutional speech restrictions, and also pay YAF $70,000.
YAF’s victory is an important reminder that our Constitution still protects all forms of speech on campus, no matter how much others may disagree with what is being said. However, conservatives should also remember that this free speech victory is a reminder that free speech is to be protected for everyone, including Marc Lamont Hill.
Last week, during a speech at the United Nations in support of the Palestinian people, Temple University professor Marc Lamont Hill praised international efforts for a boycott against Israel and implied that the Palestinian people deserved more space to engage in violence to separate themselves from the Jewish state of Israel.
“Give us what justice requires — and that is a free Palestine from the river to the sea,” said Hill, employing a historic rallying cry from Hamas, since a Palestinian empire stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea would leave no place for Israel.
As a result of his vile comments, Hill was quickly fired from his position as a contributor to CNN and has faced backlash from a number of prominent Jewish groups, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Anti-Defamation League. However, there have also been calls from a number of Temple University administrators to police Hill’s speech as well, and remove him from his teaching duties as a punishment.
What Marc Lamont Hill said was vile, false, and anti-Semitic. It was offensive to Jews all over the world, and his firing from CNN (a private company) should be no surprise. However, firing him from his position as a (public) university professor would be a huge defeat for free speech on campus.
No matter how much you may disagree with Hill’s comments on Israel, he had every right to make such comments. In the realm of academic debate, we must be careful to protect all forms of speech, even the offensive ideas, to ensure that the constitutional right to free speech bestowed upon us by our Founders remains protected for years to come.
John Patrick (@john_pat_rick) is a graduate of Canisius College and Georgia Southern University. He interned for Red Alert Politics during the summer of 2012 and has continued to contribute regularly.
