Harvard is the worst university in America when it comes to free speech, according to an annual report released Wednesday by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). The report ranked 248 college campuses nationwide, analyzing factors from speech codes to reactions to guest speakers. It included a survey of roughly 55,000 college students. Harvard, one of the nation’s top law schools, scored a zero out of 100, the lowest score ever recorded. Harvard’s speech climate was ranked as “abysmal” after FIRE surveyed more than 200 students about their experience at the Ivy League School. One student from the class of 2023 reportedly said that they were required to start every class stating their pronouns, while another said they were afraid to be open about their opinions source

So not only is there no debate, our so-called "finest" institutions are the worst offenders.

Speech is not free. It has consequences and often very serious ones. What Does Free Speech Mean? | United States Courts

The First Amendment is about the government not being allowed to censor speech not about a private institution doing that. Even though there are problems when that institution gets public funds, etc.

So if I wanted to speak out on the position that the southern borders should be closed to prevent " undocumented" illegal entry to the US I could and should be stopped as my speech is evidence that I am a racist , hate monger , inciting others to violence to minorities, I am sure you could collect a good crowd who would agree and somehow stop me

Tal. Blue on green is so unreadable!

Thanks for the assist.

There is no logic in your statement.

You can say that on Talk of the Villages or on one of the Villages' Town Squares. But would probably face some very harsh words in many places in Orlando.

And if you were in a private bar the owner could ask you to leave. And if creating a disturbance in a public bar , he or she could also ask you leave the premises.

This is a good discussion of Free Speech and the First Amendment. What the First Amendment really says — 4 basic principles of free speech in the U.S. | The Free Speech Center

I was responding to our centers of higher learning , those bastions of freedom of thought, inquiring minds

They are not bastions of freedom of thought. They train people in science, history, business, medicine, law, religion, etc. These also involve critical thinking.

Everybody Drink!

There is ZERO debate going on in our universities. If one dares to show up and speak with an opinion that is not approved, they are immediately shouted down...

Hence, my using "Bold" and "Enlarging the font", which for some, apparently means I'm "Yelling"...

You spelled "indoctrinate" wrong...

A simple Google Search proves just how wrong you are...

berkely cancelled speakers - Google Search

My response was in regard to free thinking on college campuses, not the first amendment. But good job taking the quote out of context; there might be a career for you in the MSM. :)

No, that's what they purport to do. What they actually do is indoctrinate young minds with ideology instead of critical thinking skills.

The whole point of education is to gain knowledge, the only way to do that is never stop asking questions, the alternative is just learn accepted dogma, that requires no critical thinking at all , dogma allows no opposing viewpoints, is anti educational. It brings to mind the posters who tell you of their educational achievements lauding their intelligence and then without even trying to rebut a different viewpoint engage in shrill attacks on a person's character, blind to the fact they are demonstrating the exact opposite of intelligence, but you are right our educational institutions are no big on freedom of thought, much to their shame

Back to the original topic, here is a classic example of Google manipulating search results.

Scott Adams on Spasmodic Dysphonia

Three things to note:

1. The DuckDuckGo results are almost identical to the Google results

2. It is not a convincing argument that Google must be manipulating search results because it leads with medical advice from NIH, Johns Hopkins, the Cleveland Clinic, and Penn Medicine rather than the medical advice of Scott Adams.

3. "Classic example?" It looks like that post on X was made this morning.

And how do you express "free thinking" except through written or spoken words!

Critical thinking is very much alive on our college campuses. And it comes from asking questions especially during class discussions.

Good jobs available at the "Ministry Of Truth"

I put Spasmodic Dysphonial into Google and top of search was:

The goal of treatment is to reduce symptoms of the disorder. Injecting Botox directly into the affected muscles of the voice box is a common therapy that is successful. Speech therapy is also a key part of treatment. Some centers offer a surgery to cut one of the nerves of the vocal fold.

I would assume that nothing to do with selective searching by Google, more the fact that the most popular/beneficial treatment is the Botox injection offered by centers of excellence.

spasmodic dysphonia - Google Search

I am kinda new to this forum. Are shrill attacks really the opposite of intelligence? Or, merely frustration that a poster did not read the entire thread and just jumps in whenever the urge strikes? Or keeps repeating the same information when he/she was corrected several times pages ago. Or, an emphasis that "Hey! I'm pretty certain of my facts.I just might have a degree or similar expertise on the subject matter." Or, just plain boredom and posting whatever strikes their fancy. Or, EXTREMELY pro or against a subject. I think I even noticed some wanna be comedians whose only intent is to try to make you laugh, IN CAPITAL LETTERS.

I have seen a lot of that! I would not consider any of those types of posts unintelligent. Most of the time, I believe they are tongue and cheek, or frustrated EXTREMISTS and I get a good chuckle. If you met any of these people unknowingly in one of the squares, I am pretty certain they would be normal folks. You might strike up a conversation with one of them and walk away thinking. "That was interesting!" Even the extremists. In real life, they are probably not THAT EXTREME. Typing what you wish to say doesn't always translate accordingly. Note: I am not a psychologist nor do I portray one on TV.

I do not understand how In the atmosphere of a college/university where a guest speaker in allowed to be shouted down if allowed to speak at all a student would not feel more than a little concerned if not intimidated. That voicing any like or similar opinions they would receive the same treatment. That they would be targeted, castigated. This in a situation where they live and work day to day and not just a visiting speaker.Please help me understand you logic and reasoning.

You have an anti gay rights speaker at a University. The students are going to use their FREE SPEECH to express their disapproval.

How Princeton Students Responded to an Anti-Gay Speaker on Campus | Teen Vogue

Pitt students petition university to cancel "transphobic" speaker events | LGBTQ | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper

Expressing their disapproval of the speaker's viewpoint is perfect; demanding that the speaker be canceled or shouting the speaker down is not.

Nice contrast in the approaches reported in those two articles (understanding that much may not have been reported). The Princeton article focuses on how the talk was allowed to occur unimpeded while the Pitt article focuses on attempts to cancel the speaker. I personally prefer the Princeton approach.

I found this statement in the Princeton article to be humorous:

On email listservs across Princeton’s campus, similar debates raged on. One email thread involving undergraduates grew over 25 messages long.

25 messages long? 25 messages on ToTV is a thread just getting started!

If you dare question the "authority" ie Professors, you risk failing the class...

Student Slams Prof Who Gave Her Zero For Using 'Biological Women

College student kicked out of class for telling professor there are only two genders | Fox News

Williams College student government rejects pro-Israel group

You can keep repeating the same false narrative, it doesn't make your assertion true...

Oh, and it was a Law School class...

Stanford Law School Student Hooligans Shout Down Federal Judge – California Globe

An administrator was called to help quiet things down, and she egged on the protestors...

"The shouting became so loud that Duncan asked for an administrator to keep order, according to the video. Tirien Steinbach, the law school’s associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, took to the microphone and gave a speech that accused Duncan of causing “harm.”

“Do you have something so incredibly important to say,” she asked him, that it is worth the “division of these people?”

Anyone care to explain to me how this is an "exchange of ideas that is very much alive on campus"?

Oh, NOW it's a FREE SPEECH issue, when before you claimed it was something different...

"The First Amendment is about the government not being allowed to censor speech not about a private institution doing that."

So much for that "Honest Debate" you claim is so prevalent on campus...

The new way of teaching is "don't make anyone upset." I read my nephew's college term paper. He has to take extraordinary measures to make certain a pronoun is not used incorrectly. Colleges take the meaning of harm to a whole new level. He is very much restricted in what he can say and write.

Example: I just wrote: He is very much restricted in what he can say and write. Fail! This statement would imply that he alone is being restricted.

He has to write something like. The college holds each of their students accountable for their speech and written word. Nope! Fail! This would imply the college does not hold its staff and administrators accountable only the students.

He says it gets easier with more and more practice but has to reread what he wrote over and over to make certain a pronoun harms no one.

Maybe a silly slip-up caused the uproar on that campus?

Talking of pronouns, up to the age of twelve, I though my name was "Oi you."

Phantasies have to be very well protected as they fall apart under little examination, certainly any discussion has to be curtailed , the words and language used have to be such as to not allow or suggest any question lest the phantasies start to unravel, likewise if you question basic assumptions you must have some sort of phobia and are so described and characterized , there by discredited

A supervisor of mine always called me"Hey, you!" And my coworker's name was " And, you too!" Never once did he use our names.

When I worked for a custom home builder for a few summers while in college, my boss called me "TDWBA" when I didn't know what he was talking about or if I screwed up (which thankfully became less and less often...)


Oh, what did the acronym mean? "The Dumbest White Boy Alive"... :loco:

When I finally quit to go to Med School, he told me if it didn't work out, I'd always have a job with him... I guess I got smarter... :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Sometimes, acting dumb is the smartest thing one can do.

Sadly, it wasn't an act. I knew NOTHING about construction when I started (I was a gopher...). But, I'm a fast learner and by Summer's end, I was installing door knobs and locks, helping with finish trim, pretty much everything but electric... They didn't trust me THAT much!

I was the "punch list" guy. I went around the "almost finished" homes, looking for problems. I could tell, just by looking if some molding was 1/8" off, or if the drywall wasn't right, or if something was crooked... It tapped into my OCD perfectly!

It got to the point where they told be to stop looking so hard! The subs weren't very happy with me... :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

To this day, I'll walk around the house, straightening pictures...