Brenda Smith Lezama isn’t a Fan of Freedom of Speech
[dropcap size=small]A[/dropcap]ll over America, colleges are converting from areas of academic discussion and learning to safe spaces of coddling for the easily offended. No longer do differing opinions collide in debate for new ideas to arise from the ashes of an intellectual battle ground. Such catering to the mental midgets of America is no doubt a contributing factor to the joblessness and underemployment plaguing graduates in this country; their hands are being held in school to such an extent that valuable knowledge and experience (mostly a thick skin and a quick wit) are no longer encouraged in universities. They are systematically removed in high school and higher education, rewarding the weak links and punishing the strong.
No sooner does a society lose all its freedoms as they are slowly chipped away in the name of safety. However, like the great Ben Franklin said, a society that gives up even a little freedom for a little security deserves neither and loses both. Such is the case with members of the media on University of Missouri. The media is notoriously left-leaning in America, however, they are now sampling the bitter taste of authoritarian political correctness that leftist regimes advocate for.
Related: Mizzou Protesters Now Segregating Their Members By Race
Prominent left-leaning figures like Richard Dawkins and even President Obama have said universities in America are too afraid of differing opinions. Several comedians now refuse to perform on college campuses for fear of offending someone. The hyper-sensitivity of the far left has been criticized by people who would normally agree on very little, with entertainers ranging from Bill Maher to Milo Yiannopoulos. Even South Park has attacked PC culture (though to be fair, South Park attacks everyone).
MSNBC, a bastion of the liberal media, recently interviewed Mizzou Student VP Brenda Smith-Lezama. Prior to the interview, several camera men were bullied by student protesters and the footage released on YouTube. MSNBC obtained the footage and questioned the VP about the incident, to which she replied that the media was “pushy” when approaching them. She failed to provide evidence of this, but her next response to reporter Thomas Roberts was even more ominous.
“One professor complained universities are becoming places of prohibition,” Roberts reminded. “What’s your feeling? Do you believe that’s a place we are heading for American campuses now?”
“I personally am tired of hearing that first amendment rights protect students when they are creating a hostile and unsafe learning environment for myself and for other students here,” Smith-Lezama replied. “I think that it’s important for us to create that distinction and create a space where we can all learn from one another and start to create a place of healing rather than a place where we are experiencing a lot of hate like we have in the past.”
You can view the entire exchange below:
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