# Many university students don't want "discussion;" they want compliance. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 12, 2015, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-university-students-dont-want-discussion-they-want-compliance/737342 "2015-11-12T00:42:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-university-students-dont-want-discussion-they-want-compliance/737342/121 "2015-11-24T17:11:14Z")
At the University of Kansas, a professor has been placed on leave and students are demanding that she be fired for the crime of speech. The letter demanding that she be fired contains[this classic](http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/11/23/university-of-kansas-professor-placed-on-leave-for-using-racial-slur): “The belief that democratic deliberation is neutral is wrong and dangerous. Do not allow the guise of free speech to be invoked and crowd out our demand.” Over at Rutgers, the [Bias Prevention and Education Committee has been trying to educate students that](http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-27/rutgers-university-warns-students-there-no-such-thing-free-speech) “There is no such thing as free speech.” After it was widely reported on conservative and libertarian websites, they took that sentence down from their website. Meanwhile, the faculty at Occidental college [are debating a resolution](https://reason.com/blog/2015/11/23/exclusive-occidental-faculty-voting-to-g) in which they would all declare themselves guilty of “structural racism and oppression”, force themselves to take diversity training classes, and create a system for launching investigations into any professor accused of “microaggressions”. And left-wing students at the University of Ottawa [have gotten a Yoga class cancelled](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/11/23/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/) because of cultural genocide, colonialism, and western supremacy. (No, it doesn’t make any sense to me either.) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-university-students-dont-want-discussion-they-want-compliance/737342/122 "2015-11-24T17:17:02Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > And left-wing students at the University of Ottawa [have gotten a Yoga class cancelled](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/11/23/university-yoga-class-canceled-because-of-oppression-cultural-genocide/) because of cultural genocide, colonialism, and western supremacy. (No, it doesn’t make any sense to me either.) Ever seen a liberal in a leotard? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-university-students-dont-want-discussion-they-want-compliance/737342/123 "2015-11-24T17:19:48Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I’m sure that’s **D’Anconia** ’s worry too, but the numbers he referenced show that people who go to college become _less_ likely to want to prohibit speech. Given the fact you don’t need a college degree to vote, be in office or even just be politically active / capable of exerting social pressure I don’t find that fact particularly reassuring. Lets say you hate guns. Does the stat that most gun lovers don’t have college degrees help you feel any better? ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-university-students-dont-want-discussion-they-want-compliance/737342/124 "2015-11-24T18:49:23Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Over at Rutgers, the [Bias Prevention and Education Committee has been trying to educate students that](http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-27/rutgers-university-warns-students-there-no-such-thing-free-speech) “There is no such thing as free speech.” After it was widely reported on conservative and libertarian websites, they took that sentence down from their website. This one, at least, is a ridiculous overreaction. The actual quote is: ‘There is no such thing as “free” speech. All speech has cost and consequences.’ It’s not denying anyone’s right to free speech. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-university-students-dont-want-discussion-they-want-compliance/737342/125 "2015-11-24T18:57:11Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Ever seen a liberal in a leotard? [Yes. Yes I have.](https://latimesherocomplex.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/barbarella.jpg?w=316&h=450) ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-university-students-dont-want-discussion-they-want-compliance/737342/126 "2015-11-24T19:12:40Z")
> [@treis](#): > > This one, at least, is a ridiculous overreaction. The actual quote is: ‘There is no such thing as “free” speech. All speech has cost and consequences.’ It’s not denying anyone’s right to free speech. When the consequences are fines, losing a job, losing property, or assault I’d say you’re wrong about free speech not being denied. Unless free speech is only for the independently wealthy and heavily armed. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-university-students-dont-want-discussion-they-want-compliance/737342/127 "2015-11-25T08:51:40Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I’m sure that’s **D’Anconia** ’s worry too, but the numbers he referenced show that people who go to college become _less_ likely to want to prohibit speech. It’s not limited to the undereducated though. Higher numbers of women and Democrats also want to prohibit speech, and a lot of them vote. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-university-students-dont-want-discussion-they-want-compliance/737342/128 "2015-11-25T13:14:43Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > It’s not limited to the undereducated though. Higher numbers of women and Democrats also want to prohibit speech, and a lot of them vote. It depends on the speech. IIRC, Republicans are significantly more likely to say certain books should be banned, or that blasphemy should be banned, while Democrats are more likely to say that offensive speech should be banned. So, as Shodan said in another thread, both sides have a tendency of “free speech for me but not for thee”. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-university-students-dont-want-discussion-they-want-compliance/737342/129 "2015-11-25T13:28:08Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It depends on the speech. IIRC, Republicans are significantly more likely to say certain books should be banned, or that blasphemy should be banned, while Democrats are more likely to say that offensive speech should be banned. So, as Shodan said in another thread, both sides have a tendency of “free speech for me but not for thee”. And feminists say that porn should be banned, and liberals in Texas are upset because a text book didn’t say “slave” enough. Or people want to censor _Huckleberry Finn_ because it uses the N word. And both sides say exactly the same thing about their desire for censorship - “that’s different”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-university-students-dont-want-discussion-they-want-compliance/737342/130 "2015-11-25T13:29:31Z")
> [@treis](#): > > This one, at least, is a ridiculous overreaction. The actual quote is: ‘There is no such thing as “free” speech. All speech has cost and consequences.’ It’s not denying anyone’s right to free speech. …but since we’ve got an incredibly long list of potential offended parties, better watch what you say, bub. Interesting that they took the no such thing as “free” speech statement off their website after it was publicized. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-university-students-dont-want-discussion-they-want-compliance/737342/131 "2015-11-25T14:11:47Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > 40% of Millennials want to limit speech that is “offensive” to minorities. No discussion allowed. > > [40% of Millennials OK with limiting speech offensive to minorities | Pew Research Center](http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/20/40-of-millennials-ok-with-limiting-speech-offensive-to-minorities/) However, this link shows that the the more educated people are, the less likely they are to support this. So, going to college would _reduce_ the likelihood that people would want to restrict offensive speech. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-university-students-dont-want-discussion-they-want-compliance/737342.md?page=6)