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Talked to a history professor who made me question my whole free speech stance
Had coffee with Dr. Chen from the history department last week. She pointed out that most campus speech debates today ignore context. Said that shouting down a speaker isn't the same as quiet protest in a public square. Gave the example of the 1960s sit-ins versus modern shouting matches. Hit me different because she wasn't taking sides, just showing how the rules changed. Made me wonder if we're too focused on the right to speak and not enough on how we listen. Anyone else rethink their stance after talking to a professor?
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jake19119d ago
Ran into the same thing with my poli sci prof last year. He showed me an old photo of a 1960s protest where people just stood there holding signs in total silence for hours. Really made me realize the force of that kind of message compared to screaming someone off stage. Started applying it myself at a town hall last month. Just listened the whole time without interrupting anyone, even when I strongly disagreed. Got more respect and actual conversation that way than any shouting match ever gave me.
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miller.avery19d ago
Read an article about how Silent Sam protests worked better than the loud ones people see today. The whole idea of just showing up and making people think instead of reacting seemed powerful.
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