Top Research University Offers Gentle Care to Students Ravaged by Free Speech

(Chelsey Cox/Santa Fe Independent School District via AP)

Are you injured by people’s ability to say things? Do sounds originating from strangers’ necks do you harm?

If so, Colorado State University is here to help.

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At least, the school will assist its own who’ve been hurt by First Amendment-embracing events.

Per a photo posted to the Turning Point USA Rockies Territory Instagram account, an on-campus sign announces the following:

If you (or someone you know) are affected by a free speech event on campus, here are some resources…

We’ve come a long way. Eighty years ago, young men voluntarily crossed the world to see bullets approaching their heads. They ran toward the threat.

These days, it seems, mere syllables cause some to retreat.

America was once known for its forward ferocity against storms of adversity. We’re living in an age of backpedaling in response to the gale of a fart.

Or perhaps I’m wrong.

And in that case, CSU recommends the following offices for shellshocked students:

  • Dean of Students
  • CSU Health Network Counseling
  • Multicultural Counseling
  • Vice President of Inclusive Excellence
  • Incidents of Bias Reporting
  • Off of Equal Opportunity
  • Ombuds (for CSU employees)
  • Employee Assistance Program (for CSU employees)
  • Victim’s Assistance Hotline

The sign also points attendees to skin-based shelters:

  • Asian Pacific American Culture Center
  • Black/African American Cultural Center
  • El Centro
  • Native American Cultural Center
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Other identity-related havens:

  • Pride Resource Center
  • Student Disability Center
  • Women and Gender Advocacy Center

 

What sorts of goings-on might be especially dangerous?

In 2019, CSU President Joyce McConnell issued a statement regarding an upcoming appearance by Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk.

She appeared to conflate the conservative with followers of Hitler.

On Wednesday night, literally while our campus community was gathered to discuss a recent incident involving a photo of students in blackface, we discovered a swastika drawn on the wall of a university apartment building.

Blackface is racist and dehumanizing.

The swastika is an abhorrent and abiding symbol of anti-Semitism.

Acts of bias and racism are widespread across the country and the globe, but they should not be happening on the CSU campus. We stand firmly behind our principles of community and these acts and others violate our principles. We must come together, unanimously reject acts like these, and work on accountability.

We also learned Wednesday night that a student group exercising its First Amendment right to invite speakers to campus invited Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk to speak on campus on October 22 at the University Center for the Arts.

I assure you all that we are aware of this upcoming invited speaker, whose visits to campuses across the country have sparked protests, including on our campus in February 2018. We will share more information with all of you early next week about this upcoming event and our university plans for security and programming.

We know that we must denounce hateful acts swiftly and powerfully and when we do things with negative consequences—such as when permissible chalked messages on our grounds were washed off—many of you lose faith that CSU is acting on its Principles of Community.

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Are events — including classes — featuring leftwing ideology considered “free speech” occasions as well?

Campus Reform notes the potential for inconsistency:

According to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, Colorado State University has a yellow speech code rating, meaning the university has “at least one ambiguous policy that too easily encourages administrative abuse and arbitrary application.

Still, CSU is no institutional slouch.

From its homepage, entitled “Charging Forward”:

Colorado State University is one of the nation’s top public research universities…

Perhaps they can research a permanent protectant for those vulnerable to damage from free speech.

Two obvious prescriptions come to mind:

  1. If possible, forget the English language. In lieu of that, move to a place where English isn’t employed. You can’t be harmed by what you can’t understand. Presto change-O.
  2. Wear ear plugs. They costs less than a dollar, and problem solved.

Beyond those, thankfully, Colorado State University is looking out.

Hopefully, those traumatized will get the care they need.

-ALEX

 

See more content from me:

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