I have been thinking about Free Speech lately. Several years ago, I went back to my beloved university to pursue another degree. It was disturbing to notice the lack of debate. My sense was that you could not be independent (and certainly not be conservative) and have your views welcomed in class. Since I was much older than my classmates, I thought maybe I simply suffered from dinosaur-thinking, but then a young classmate confessed that she did not agree with many of the views expressed, but knew better than to speak up. She would have been ostracized.
After graduation, I wrote a short note to my alumni organization about my observations. I was a supporter and felt I should pipe up. This place had changed for the worse over the decades and I was disappointed. Unsurprisingly, nothing came of my missive.
A couple years passed and all of a sudden, free speech became a proper topic for debate. And better yet, someone recognized that many universities had lost their way. And even better than that, some took action (!) with the creation of the new University of Austin. So it’s not just me and maybe I am not a fossil - yet.
Interesting. Looking forward to future posts.