I just finished a conversation with Greg Lukianoff from FIRE. Greg is a friend I've known for quite some time, and he’s a person of implacable integrity and decency.
Greg is doing crucial work in promoting free speech and defending the rights of individuals who have faced repercussions for their speech. We discussed schools on FIRE's Free Speech List and the associated violators as well as the teacher’s unions’ ideological capture.
The conversation took an unexpected turn when we began talking about people we know in the public space—Greg then used the phrase "name-dropping”. As we both move in the public space, we know a lot of public intellectuals. We don’t use their names to name drop, but rather because these are the people with whom we frequently associate.
Greg's books are both excellent. The first one, The Coddling of the American Mind with Jonathan Haidt, and his second one, The Canceling of the American Mind with Rikki Schlott both have my highest recommendation.
I hope you enjoy our conversation.
I have taught at the U of Guelph-Humber university for 13 years and am suspended now, and likely to be fired for calling Hamas Nazis and hurting the feelings of a radical Palestinian professor who hates the West, Jews and all our civilization is built on. Have been called a criminal, threatened with arrest, and have been diagnosed with PTSD. It's insane. But I will fight on. Generation Z has little conviction on free speech. Human rights are now the enemy of free speech. Cultures are like container ships and difficult to move, I fear for Canada. So many are so committed and so steadfast in their ignorance of how the words (or chants) that flow from their lips are contrary to the foundation of our society.
https://www.freedomtoffend.com/p/copy-life-story-part-1-i-am-being?r=iy2ds
https://www.freedomtoffend.com/p/a-comparison-of-a-universitys-official?r=iy2ds
The US has a much more solid free speech culture than Canada. We also are weak on property rights.