Politicology

ENCORE: Free Speech Culture

07.26.2023 - By PoliticologyPlay

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Some of the most vexing political controversies, policy questions, and cultural crises of our current moment trace their orbit around the singular legal and cultural gravity of our 1st Amendment—and the radical, enlightenment wisdom enshrined in it.

What has really been going across college campuses—and what’s at stake for wider society outside the confines of higher education?

Is the colloquial public square, practically speaking, now privately held by a handful of tech titans?

How has the idea of “free speech” become so shockingly misunderstood that one of our major political parties can persuade a large swath of the country that a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol is “legitimate political discourse?”

Greg Lukianoff (President and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)) joins host Ron Steslow to discuss FIRE’s fight to protect free speech on—and, now, off—campus.

(02:15) Greg’s background and FIRE’s role in protecting the First Amendment 

(5:15) The Coddling of the American Mind 

(10:30) The state of free speech on college campuses 

(30:20) What’s driving the complaints on college campuses 

(39:55) FIRE moving off campus to create a culture of free speech 

(41:05) Why they decided to take on off campus speech issues

(50:31) Limits to protected speech

(59:10) Free speech and Big Tech

(1:04:25) Creating a culture of free speech

Visit FIRE’s Website: thefire.org

Follow Greg and Ron on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/glukianoff

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

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