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How a community dialogue after a speaker visit changed my opinion
Ngl, I used to think colleges should just keep out speakers with extreme views. Then last fall, I was doing some landscaping work at a college and they had a guy come who said things that made a lot of students angry. Instead of trying to get him kicked out, a student group set up a open forum the next day for everyone to talk about it. I stuck around to hear it, and it was really respectful. People from both sides shared their thoughts without yelling. They even found some common points on basic issues. That small forum showed me that letting the talk happen and then having more discussion can work better than just saying no. Now I believe that kind of response helps keep open dialogue on campus.
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linda_shah7mo ago
You said that small forum showed you something. But how often does that really work? One nice talk where no one yells feels good, but does it actually change anything? Those speakers get paid and leave, and the students go back to their regular fights. It just seems like a feel good moment that doesn't fix the bigger problem. Why do we act like one calm conversation is a big win?
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