People take to their keyboards
April 29, 2017
In light of Dr. Jordan Peterson’s revoked invitation to give a free speech lecture at Linfield, people have been making their opinions clear through commenting on his YouTube reaction video and a Linfield Review article titled “Hate symbol on ball riles campus.” Below is a list of sample comments from the 1,898 on Peterson’s video and the 41 on the Linfield Review article.
- As coordinator of the Speak Freely Series, I strongly dispute professor Dutt-Ballerstadt’s assertion that our upcoming events threaten student safety. Her hyperbolic claims are escalating a tense situation and scaring students. That is not productive for fostering a peaceful academic climate at Linfield, and it makes campus life very difficult for the YAL students. -Parker Wells
- When I studied philosophy at Linfield, I was taught to engage with opposing viewpoints through reason and discussion. Attempting to silence dissenting views is not what I would expect of Linfield faculty or students. -Marcus A.
- I’m a student at Linfield College and I’m extremely disappointed that Dr. Peterson was disinvited. Many students, even those that disagreed with Peterson’s viewpoints were excited to, at the very least, listen to his talk and question him afterward. In Linfield’s defense, however, there were rising tensions among the student body because of Dr. Peterson’s ideologues (which I personally have only heard about secondhand) and many did not take his tweet in a joking manner. -Amelia Bedelia
- Linfield administrators are cowards. -Bloom Country
- I am absolutely appalled by Linfield actions. This entire school year they have given no thought to white, Christian, or in any other way “majority” students. Free speech means that our voice and opinions can and should be heard too. We listen to everyone else’s views that oppose ours, and when we try to speak up we are told we are racists, homophobes or whatever the new word of the week is. If we want to improve as a society at all, ALL sides need to be heard. -Anonymous
- What’s more, the left seems to be pushing the most communist and socialist notion of “free speech” I have ever seen. This institution is pathetic. –r00t hkr
- So much for their freedom of speech policy. Sure seems like what they’re doing to you is harassment, intimidation, bullying and doing everything they can to stop freedom of speech. Censorship? They don’t seem to really care at all if they’re hypocritical do they? -404now
- These people leave me speechless and fearful for our generation. If your child has to be given safe spaces on a college campus you have failed as a parent. -Lomolabo
- Not only are they anti-free speech, but add to that rudeness and lacking in common courtesy. I hope this gets out to the parents who are wasting their money sending their children to be brainwashed at this closed minded institution. -Tom D.
- I’m an English professor at Linfield, and I think Prof. Peterson’s characterization
of Linfield’s decision to cancel his talk is less than honest and fair. Let me point out that colleges face a combination of important obligations, including the promotion of both freedom
of speech and political activity AND the physical security of the campus and its residents. That’s a tough line to walk, especially in the current climate. If it had been clear that the campus community alone would be hearing a thoughtful, grounded argument by Dr. Peterson, and would be able to ask questions that he would welcome, I suspect the college would have made a different call. -Anna Keesey
It’s safe to say that people are passionate about this controversy, and are making their voices heard one way or another.
John • May 10, 2017 at 2:29 am
You see how it works now Paul? If there’s any speaker out their we don’t like, all we have to do is show up in costumes, make a lot of noise, break some windows, and maybe beat up a few “fascist” trash cans. From then on, campus administrators are compelled to ban that speaker from appearing at their college, in order to maintain a safe space for the impressionable infants clutching at their collective bosom. Why didn’t totalitarians think of this before?
Paul Reynosa • May 2, 2017 at 2:58 pm
Prof Anna and the rest of the school administration are a bunch of cowards. David Waxman, so leftists anarchists may cause violence, so a speaker is bared from giving a speech? You know how stupid you sound? What’s your IQ, 48?
David Waxman • May 1, 2017 at 1:47 am
Professor Anna Keesey –
I was happy to see at least one person write in support of the administration’s decision to cancel the event. Until seeing your comment, I was under the impression that EVERYONE thought that the administration was cowardly and underhanded.
So the issue was security due to the fact that off campus persons might show up. You were also concerned that Dr. Peterson’s lecture would not be thoughtful and grounded. You were also concerned that questions would not be welcome.
Hope that makes sense to someone out there.
Joe Schmo • May 3, 2017 at 7:08 pm
“I’m an English professor at Linfield, and I think Prof. Peterson’s characterization
of Linfield’s decision to cancel his talk is less than honest and fair”
Peterson read the e-mail which detailed the reasons for the cancellation of the event. His response was in direct reference to that. If there is more reasoning, then the faculty at this college did not make a good enough effort of making that reasoning known. This is all available online, so I don’t see why these professors are hiding behind vague statements of something being dishonest. If there’s something they know, then they should say it and be specific about it. Otherwise, I can only assume that they’re deliberately trying to mislead people and setting an extremely poor example for the students which they’re teaching.