Free Speech and Accountability
Nine months ago, I posted what I thought of how Free Speech and the First Amendment has been abused by Far-Right Conservatives. The amount of misinformation that is spread through Social Media gossip and the commercialized internet is born from twisted story telling – conspiracy theories. In order to stop, or at least restrict the spread of purposely created mischaracterizations, we first need to understand how and why they were created.
Fortunately, our democratic system of government has now successfully been able to hold large corporations accountable, as detailed in my April posting. Also, we are now starting to hold accountable some prominent individuals who have flagrantly used the First Amendment as their right to falsely accuse others, causing them harm. We still need to hold accountable those who we elect to public office that viciously attack others for political benefit.
This can best be accomplished by voting these individuals out of office. But first we need to be sure of the motive for their vicious attack on others and understand the damage that is created. Not many people can judge correctly the harm that is caused unless they can see for themselves exactly what has transpired and is on record. This is where YouTube videos can be convenient and very revealing.
House Committee on Education and Labor
As an example, search YouTube for specific information such as the stories concerning the three presidents of Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania that testified before Congress on antisemitism on college campuses. This is an extremely important issue on free speech and foreign relationships. Google will give you a list of stories on just what was accomplished by the House Committee investigation. Or is this what they call their “Oversight” responsibility?
By searching YouTube, you get the ability to see for yourself how different media types: social, conservative and mainstream, slant their stories. YouTube videos lets you see for yourself how are elected officials conduct themselves during these hearings. It seems that the whole story of what has been accomplished during this hearing concerns Rep. Elise Stefanik and how she grilled these University Presidents. Let’s look at what happened that made Rep. Stefanik the standout inquisitor during the investigation.
Search YouTube for “University Presidents that were called to testify before the House Committee” and there you will see many choices to view. You will get to see all three University presidents respond if you choose Rep. Elise Stefanik Questions University Presidents on Antisemitism. Here you will witness the responses that the following three University leaders tried to explain about their university’s tolerance for the Free Speech right as expresses by students during several prominent Campus Protest. They are: Dr. Sally Kornbluth (MIT), Ms. Liz Magill (UPenn) and Dr. Claudine Gay (Harvard).
Why Do Committee Members Demand a Yes or No Response?
See for yourself just how she devotes her questioning into one simplistic argument in order to create a precontrived response. Why Isn’t Rep. Stefanik using her five minutes to find out how these universities can better address the free speech conundrum that exists in our schools? Are the answers that are given by the University leaders evasive or too complex to be reduced to a yes or no response? Unfortunately, this determination to twist an important inquiry into a forced yes or no question is all too commonly used during congressional hearings. This appears to me to be a partisan attack that resolves nothing.
If you google Does Calling for The Genocide Of Jews Violate Penn’s Code Of Conduct you will see the frustration in President Liz Magill’s trying to respond to Rep. Stefanik’s pointed question. Another interesting YouTube video that gained a great deal of attention, generated by Forbes Globa Media, is headlined Elise Stefanik Absolutely Explodes at Harvard’s President. This was directed at Dr. Claudine Gay of Harvard University.
This time Ms. Stefanik starts out by demanding another yes or no response that relates to Black Lives Matters protests. The question is: “a Harvard student calling for the mass murder of African Americans is not protected free speech at Harvard, correct?” Doesn’t this deserve a detailed explanation? Surprisingly, Ms. Gay response was immediately interrupted by Stefanik’s demanding a simple yes or no response.
Then the Congresswoman goes on to badger the witness with her antisemitism and free speech agenda with a blistering attack that resolves nothing. President Gay actually gives the Republican Representative the response she was seeking. However, when she refused to accept her honest answers, Rep. Stefanik called for her resignation as well as for the other two Presidents. Why demand the resignations of these University leaders for failure to suppress hateful protests, while excusing Donald Trump for creating a violent insurrection?
Understanding the Purpose of this Hearing
Let’s go back and understand the purpose of this hearing by viewing another Forbes video segment titled Virginia Foxx Asks Harvard’s President Point Blank: ‘Do You Believe Israel Has The Right To Exist?’ (youtube.com). Virginia Foxx is the ranking Republican member of the House Committee on Education and Labor. Bear in mind that the committee titled the hearing “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism.”
Chairwoman Virginia Foxx emphasized that Jewish campus students didn’t feel safe, as was acknowledged by all three witnesses in their opening statements. She then goes on to accuses them of fostering antisemitism because their campuses have students and faculty that hate Jews and hate Israel. The Chairwoman then asks each witness to briefly explain how did they allow their campuses to get this way? She also accuses them of hiring faculty and approving curriculum that allows their schools to become infected with this intellectual and moral rot.
The sole purpose of this hearing appears to blame these leaders for allowing bullying and expressions of hatred of Jews on their campuses. However, nothing is being addressed about the widespread culture of hate-mongering that former president Trump and his ardent followers have spread across social media. Students at every grade level have been subjected this type of torment merely because they are simply different in race, color or religious belief. A great number of our political appointees are as guilty of creating this cancer in American culture as these educational leaders are accused of being.
These Trump supporters have eagerly spread the conspiracy theories, evolving around black people as well as Jews, that have been planted by Russian operatives during the 2016 Presidential Campaign. My books explain this in great detail. Consider the audacity that this Committee on Education displays for “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable” when virtually no Republican member of Congress dares to hold former President Trump accountable for all of his Impeachable violations of his Oath of Office.
Now let’s look at what this Committee has accomplished. Those us who actually read newspapers and respect journalism are aware that on Oct. 7, Hamas and other militant groups based in Gaza launched an attack in Israel that killed some 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials. In response, Israel launched a military campaign designed to eradicate Hamas that has devastated Gaza. More than 15,000 people have been killed, most of them women and children. Israel’s military estimates that it has killed several thousand Hamas fighters.
This ongoing war has created deep emotional feelings for both Palestinians and Jews alike. Protests against this massive destruction of the Gaza territory and the lives of those living within became inevitable. Depending on one’s background and the media sources: conservative, mainstream and social media, opinions grew to extremes. Just like the Black Lives Matters protests became widespread, so did the uprisings for and against the people of Jewish faith. How does anyone stop the hate filled occurrences that are provoked by self-serving perpetrators?
Now the “Blame Game” Takes Affect!
Thanks to this oversight committee on improving education in America, all we have done is retaliate against those who most likely have not had the power to control the activities for which they are accused. University of Pennsylvania president, Elizabeth Magill, apologized the day after the congressional hearing and found it best to resign. Harvard’s first Black president Claudine Gay initially faced criticism for her reluctance to condemn the Hamas attacks. Then following her testimony there were growing calls for her to resign, but about 700 faculty members came to her defense. Her decision to resign made her tenure of just six months and two days the shortest in Harvard’s history. Read here why Gay’s resignation matters.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) President Sally Kornbluth appears to have the backing of her school’s governing board. It issued a statement declaring “full and unreserved support” for the president two days after she appeared before Congress. The MIT faculty and community have largely rallied to her defense and as of this writing there is no indication she plans to depart anytime soon.
Emboldened by the two resignations, Rep. Stefanik vowed that the committee will use its “full Congressional authority” to hold Penn, Harvard University, and MIT accountable for “their failure on the global stage.” N.Y. Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik later wrote “After this week’s pathetic and morally bankrupt testimony by university presidents when answering my questions, the Education and Workforce Committee is launching an official congressional investigation.” Sounds like she has fully learned the way of Donald Trump.
