In the (perhaps unlikely) event that any students followed the recent Conservative Party federal leadership race, they would surely have noticed one of the more unconventional promises made by Andrew Scheer, the man who now leads the Conservative caucus. During his bid for the party's leadership, Scheer vowed that if[Read More…]
Tag: free speech
Thinking before you speak in a digital age
The comment sections of online articles offer a variety of contributions, ranging from bigotry to thoughtful insights. Of course, the purpose of comment sections is to foster productive discussion on the article at hand, which, unfortunately, sometimes does not happen. Different publications are considering ways to referee discussions on their[Read More…]
Political conversation must break echo chambers at McGill in 2017
On Jan 12, Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Kellie Leitch spoke at a meet-and-greet on Peel St., co-hosted by the Conservative Association at McGill University. In response, members of the Montreal community, including McGill students, staged a peaceful protest. While divisive, both the event and the protest are essential[Read More…]
Delineating safe spaces key to protecting free speech on university campuses
The campus free speech debate was back in the media spotlight these past few weeks after an incident at Yale University. Controversy followed a mass email sent by Yale Professor Erika Christakis, in which she questioned the school’s policy on culturally appropriative Halloween costumes. The response was fast and furious;[Read More…]
Commentary: Free speech and the hypersensitivity of safe spaces on campus
The term “safe space,” which originated from various social movements in the ‘60s and ‘70s, has since attracted the attention of educational institutions and students who are seeking to balance the need for inclusive and inoffensive communities with their duty to promote academic freedom and freedom of speech. Preoccupied with[Read More…]
Commentary: To be heard, or not to be heard
“The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum….” – Noam Chomsky
