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The Battle Over Free Speech on Campus The Battle Over Free Speech on Campus
(about 20 hours later)
To the Editor:To the Editor:
Re “There Are Promising Signs for Free Speech on Campuses,” by David French (column, April 17):Re “There Are Promising Signs for Free Speech on Campuses,” by David French (column, April 17):
I hope Mr. French’s column is correct. Freedom of speech, as provided for in the First Amendment, is a bedrock principle of our constitutional democracy.I hope Mr. French’s column is correct. Freedom of speech, as provided for in the First Amendment, is a bedrock principle of our constitutional democracy.
It is based on the premise of neutral principles. It guarantees all of us the fundamental right to express ourselves regardless of our viewpoints. Its meaning and significance for a free society cannot be misunderstood or minimized.It is based on the premise of neutral principles. It guarantees all of us the fundamental right to express ourselves regardless of our viewpoints. Its meaning and significance for a free society cannot be misunderstood or minimized.
Individuals who profess to believe in free speech demonstrate their commitment to the principle not merely when they support the right of a speaker with whom they agree but also when they show that support for a speaker whose viewpoint is antithetical to their own.Individuals who profess to believe in free speech demonstrate their commitment to the principle not merely when they support the right of a speaker with whom they agree but also when they show that support for a speaker whose viewpoint is antithetical to their own.
Norman SiegelNew YorkThe writer is a civil rights lawyer and a former executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.Norman SiegelNew YorkThe writer is a civil rights lawyer and a former executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
To the Editor:
It is obvious that William Butler Yeats’s poem “The Second Coming,” cited in David French’s column, still has relevance today in light of current events, such as the Capitol insurrection and threats to free speech. Right- and left-wing extremist attacks on free speech are undermining American democracy.
The battlegrounds for these attacks are college campuses. There are indications of optimism, though. Many prestigious universities have adopted a stance in favor of free speech and academic freedom, including Stanford, Cornell, Harvard and the University of Chicago.