Lots of ‘em. And if you put on an originalist / strict construction hat for a moment (which you libertarian types are supposed to like), you’ll see that speech is protected only from criminalization. As long as they don’t arrest you or fine you for what you say (or write), they’re well within their constitutional rights. You could probably even take it a step further and argue that as long as it’s not Congress authorizing the arresting/fining, it’s still constitutionally okay. Assuming, of course, you agree with Justice Thomas’ particular brand of originalism…

Move along, people, nothing to see.

(Of course, I don’t actually agree with what I just wrote, but then I’ve never claimed to be a originalist / strict constructionist, either…)

Inside the classroom, however, the right to free speech does not seem to me to be absolute, but is, in fact abridged by contract. As a Professor, there are many things that I agree not to say in front of students by accepting the job of being a professor and signing a professional contract. By paying money to attend a course, students likewise enter a contract by which they may be offered a choice of classes, the option to shop around for courses for a couple of weeks to see which ones suit them, and the provision of a syllabus that lays out many of the terms of the course in advance. At this point, any issue of misbehavior by a Professor or a student is NOT a first amendment issue, but a contractual one.

What I wrote was, “Is there a place in the United States that will not allow Free Speech? Sadly yes. They call them Universities.”

By silencing Free Speech and allowing only one position Universities do create an intellectual vacuum. However, your suggestion invokes a conspiracy from the University Administration which is not my point. Freedom of speech is protected by the U.S. Constitution. When University Administrators use their power to deny Free Speech do they do so because of ideological goals or because they simply lack the courage to allow both sides to speak?

How should people read your post? You begin the post with “Good for the right wing. They too, have figured out how to make the Michael Moore-style documentary.” Not much bias there. How open minded are you exactly? You post is another run of the mill apology basically dening that Universities deny Free Speech. You provide andecdotal examples to bolster your case but in the end you offer no real substance. While the Stalin touch is nice it is completely wasted and is a red herring.

When you write, “We need communities of people to help us work through the “invisisibles” of life that give what appears to us meaning, and those who have privileged access points in that world have the potential to abuse such things” all I can think of is that your entire post should be titled “It Takes a Village”.

Perhaps you should spend less time in the Ivory Tower and a little more time reading and understanding the Constition. There is no excuse for dening Free Speech on Univerty Campuses and in classrooms. I have to give your post an Incomplete. Bring it back when it’s finishded.

Not only the worst excesses of fascism and communism, but the recipe for corporate America!

“it’s going to leave a lot of people angry”

- Glenn Reynolds, Instapundit.com

“It’s a gripping hour-and-a-half, and the college administrators — and there are a lot of them — who call the cops on Evan rather than answer simple questions about matters of public record certainly give higher education a jackbooted-thug ambience. Even your dumber corporate PR people would know better, but they are used to a lot more public scrutiny than the folks who run colleges and universities.”

“I hope that the film gets a lot of attention. It certainly deserves it [...]”

————————————————————————————-

“one of the most horrifying and hysterical documentaries I have ever seen”

- Ain’t It Cool News, On Brainwashing 101

“If any of the films shown at this festival are going to breakout and become huge mainstream hits, it’s either going to be Michael Moore Hates America or Brainwashing 101 [the short-form precursor to Indoctrinate U]. Directed by new, sharp-witted, gonzo-journalist Evan Maloney, 101 is an unbiased look at censorship and P.C. run amuck on college campuses. This is one of the most horrifying and hysterical documentaries I have ever seen.”

and much, much more