Last Saturday afternoon, US Deputy Attorney-General Jesse Panuccio visited Harvard University to give a speech to the Law School's Alumni Symposium. His topic was the threats to Free Speech in American universities.
The full text of the speech can be read at the above link. It's a stark reminder of why we need swamp-draining in Academia; and how the Trump Administration is actively dealing with it. Throughout the address, Panuccio showed a courage and commitment to reform not seen from American politicians in years. The Deputy AG laid out the problem in bold relief---to the obvious embarrassment of academic elites whom he publicly shamed for their anti-democratic policies. He further encouraged students to stand up to Political Correctness on campus as well as reminding the Alumni---who fund a lot of Harvard's expenses---of their responsibilities in holding Administrators accountable.
Here is an example of what Panuccio said regarding the suppression of speech on campuses. "But that kind of teeming debate, that tradition of American dissent, is not what’s happening on college campuses today. As some Middlebury professors rightly declared in a Statement of Principles drafted after the violent events in 2017: “A protest that prevents campus speakers from communicating with their audience is a coercive act.” Hecklers are enforcing silence on others, so that only their own speech can be heard, and they are willing to use drastic means, including crimes of violence, to achieve this censorship.
"The heckler’s veto only succeeds when it is abetted by the echoing silence and inaction of those in a position to stop it. By giving in to these tactics, administrators are creating a moral hazard that results in ever more suppression of speech. If schools would impose serious consequences on hecklers, it is likely such tactics would abate."
How long have Americans waited for a government official to go to a major university and say that? Yes, many Conservatives have denounced these disgraceful 'protests'---but who has ever called out the Administrators for tacitly encouraging these demonstrations? They are really the ones responsible for these kinds of problems. And I think that most of us, including Panuccio and other DOJ officials, understand that the Administrations are often doing more behind the scenes than passive inaction. More often than not, they actively instigate these crimes.
Panuccio in fact says as much: "But few institutions have done so thus far—indeed, many administrators and professors seem afraid to take action that might expose them to criticism or protest from the mob. Maybe you’ve encountered that fear on your own campus. Or maybe you’ve encountered something even worse: some faculty and administrators go beyond inaction and become part of the mob. Thus, while many universities pay lip service to free speech, they seem to be unable or unwilling to sustain an environment that actually inculcates and fosters respect for that principle. The more this kind of speech suppression happens without consequence for the perpetrators, the more it is encouraged, the more the behavior is repeated and normalized."
Simple common sense should tell most of us that these demonstrations are rarely spontaneous movements of students. Let us reflect on our own school days. Most of us were thinking of our studies, the opposite sex, sports, and plans for the weekend (not necessarily in that order). Certainly, some joined political or social activist groups: but those organizations are required to have faculty advisers and be certified by the university. So, who actually incites these groups to crime ought to be obvious.
Panuccio goes on to lecture on the purpose of university; which he pointed out to the red-faced academics that they had long forgotten. One particular highlight from this segment was his insightful statement that:
"In place of the “spirit of free inquiry” highlighted by Justice Frankfurter, we now see a focus on feelings—that feelings, and not reason, should dictate what is said on campus and the obligations of members of the university community. The necessary implication is that any idea or speech that contradicts current majority beliefs or feelings is offensive, hurtful, and valueless—and can properly be silenced. Outrage culture is replacing inquiry culture on our campuses...
"Perhaps university administrators and faculty think they are doing their students a favor by prioritizing their immediate feelings, their short-term satisfaction, over their intellectual and emotional maturation. They are not. They are failing to teach their students how to think and thrive as adults in a complex and contentious society. The university is supposed to be where students are challenged, grapple with intellectual opponents’ arguments, and leave more informed. Instead, too many members of the next generation graduate believing that they can learn nothing from people with whom they disagree."
Here Panuccio puts his finger on the inherent perniciousness of Cultural Marxism. The Radical Left---the ringleaders of Political Correctness on campuses---actually want to create a mass of NPC-types who obey and consider everyone questioning the official narrative as an enemy. Certain other students, who show the proper PC attitudes, are groomed for leadership roles. It works like a human pyramid-scheme.
But the days of the Left-Wing Academic Mandarins is headed to its demise. Panuccio offers this message of hope---which we should duly note and applaud:
"For these reasons—because American society depends upon citizens who understand the value of free speech—the Department of Justice has been fighting for the First Amendment on American campuses. We are using the Department’s bully pulpit to raise awareness, and, as I have mentioned, we are getting involved in litigation against public universities that violate free speech rights. For publicly run institutions, upholding free speech rights is not an option, but an unshakable requirement of the First Amendment. Thus, to date, we have filed statements of interest in five lawsuits that seek to vindicate students’ free expression and free association rights. The lawsuits have been against University of California, Berkeley; Pierce College in Los Angeles; Georgia Gwinnett College; the University of Michigan; and the University of Iowa.
"We will continue to support plaintiffs in such cases and take action in future cases, and we want aggrieved students and faculty to know the Department is open for business on this issue. We welcome notifications about pending lawsuits and invitations to get involved."
As our previous Attorney-General, Jeff Sessions, used to say, we have your back. That's what we've needed for a long time: leadership that we can trust to do the right thing. It's only a matter of time before the Academic Mafia falls and the rats go scurrying back into the darkness where they belong.
