In which we discuss culture

[neongrey]

31 minutes ago, TKWade said:

Actually, if you look at the other questions, that was part of the poll, but it was unrelated to what I was talking about specifically.

Using slurs and other language on campus that is intentionally offensive to certain groups 69% for restriction and 31% against.

 I'm not talking about hate speech. I'm talking specifically about rational discussion of uncomfortable, upsetting, polarizing, or offensive ideas. There are small groups that do want to censor those types of discussion. That's what I was highlighting. I think we're just getting our wires crossed.

The poll question you originally called out doesn't address rational discussion of uncomfortable, upsetting, polarizing, or offensive ideas. (And slurs, for example, are not the same thing as hate speech; they can overlap, but they're not the same thing at all; neither does intentional offense really encompass hate speech). And yes, I think university campuses should restrict that. The question you called out is phrased thus:

Quote

 

Do you think colleges should or should not be able to establish policies that restrict each of the following types of speech or expression on campus?

Expressing political views that are upsetting or offensive to certain groups

 

This is a phrasing that is geared to produce a certain response in the listener. It is a phrasing that is itself devoid of meaning because it is geared to make the listener impose their own meaning. For example, to interpret it as referring solely to 'rational discussion of uncomfortable, upsetting, polarizing, or offensive ideas'. The question here says nothing of the sort. It implies nothing of the sort. It is broad enough that it can apply to what you wish it to apply to just as easily as it can apply to holocaust denial (which is illegal to teach where I live). That question applies just as easily to Black Lives Matter as it does to the Westboro Baptist Church. It's a disingenuous poll question.

And, okay, let's for argument's sake run with the notion that there's people who want legitimate government censorship of ?????????, I still fully maintain that 'well, if we say the racists shouldn't have a platform for their racism because that's censorship', that's still fundamentally supporting them over the people whom they oppress, and whose voices they silence.