Front Page  »  

Is Cal Poly president all talk and no walk?

December 4, 2016
Allan Cooper

Allan Cooper

OPINION by ALLAN COOPER

I was horrified to read that Milo Yiannopoulos has been invited by the Cal Poly College Republicans to speak at the Spanos Theater on January 31. This self-described “alt-right” conservative has engaged in hate speech against Muslims, minorities, immigrants and women.

Cal Poly Public Relations Director Matt Lazier stated in response to this invitation that Cal Poly is an “open environment where opinions, ideas and thoughts are freely shared…” Does this so-called “open environment” include hate speech?

Cal Poly’s President Jeffrey D. Armstrong has repeatedly spoken out against hate and bigotry.

As recently as Nov. 2015, Cal Poly students protested anti-Islamic and anti-gender fluidity statements written on a “Free Speech Wall” erected annually by the Cal Poly College Republicans on the Dexter Lawn to commemorate the toppling of the Berlin Wall. President Armstrong, in a letter to students, touted the university’s efforts to curb such incidents and improve the campus environment for all students.

Unless President Armstrong is “all talk and no walk,” I expect the president and Cal Poly’s recently established Office of University Diversity and Inclusivity to intervene and bar this bigot from speaking on-campus.


Loading...
Subjects:             
Related:


42 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Let him speak.


0

I am horrified to read the intolerance and hatred spewed out by the very people that preach for increased tolerance from the other sides of their mouths. Support greater tolerance unless it conflicts with one’s own ideals/beliefs, aye? Talk about hypocrisy!


The politically conservative, Catholic Christian, gay Milo Yiannopoulos has been judged by some to be “anti-Islamic”, a “racist”, a “misogynist” a “white supremacist”, etc., etc. Mr. Cooper also judges him to be “anti-gender fluidity” (whatever the heck that is?)


Consider for a moment if Yiannopoulos was a radical progressive and an avowed atheist? What if he were anti-Catholic (one of the few PC prejudices left in this world) and a raging sexist-feminist, anti-white racist with ties to the Nation of Islam?


People like Mr. Cooper would be soiling themselves in support of his planned visit. The lack of tolerance displayed by people like Mr. Cooper is chilling and dastardly. It needs to cease.


0

My understanding is that the invitation came from College Republicans, not the university.


There’s a simple solution here–if you don’t like the speaker, don’t attend the speech.


Or stand outside quietly, respectfully, with your protest signs.


But even this guy has a right to be heard. It’s called the First Amendment.


0

Free speech does not always please everybody, myself included.


0

And free speech has limits. You can’t yell fire in a theater.


0

Well, if that’s true, it sure says a lot about the imbecile minds of the College Republicans. Can’t they come up with somebody who has something inspiringly conservative to say instead of a freak show?


0

Ignoring the issue of violating the First Amendment for the moment, if you are calling for Armstrong to “bar” Yiannopoulos from speaking on campus, then do you also support “barring” all forms of bigotry, racism and misogyny on campus? Gansta rap and video games which glorify murder, racism, bigotry, rape, and misogyny come to mind. Interesting that you didn’t call from them being played anywhere on campus or campus affiliated organizations (dorm rooms, fraternities houses, etc.). Could it be that you are a hypocrite who is permissive of some formats of hate speech while condemning only selective ones?


0

The guy’s being paid to spew his hatred. That’s different from actual free speech.


0

mmmm… what would George Carlin do?


0

“There are two knobs on the radio… one of them changes the volume and the other changes the station. Imagine that… you can actually change the station.” Classic George Carlin


I may not agree with what you say but I will defend your right to say it!


0

What would Lenny Bruce or Dick Gregory do? And what would Don Rickles do?


0

When is the formal book burning Herr Professor?


0

Soon….very soon….


0

No surprise. The CSU and campus administration is run by conservative white males. There are a few females around in higher positions, but they suck up to the people running the show. Here’s the message the admin is giving to students: Free speech is OK when the people in charge are doing the speaking, not necessarily when anyone else speaks. It’s evident that corruption goes hand-in-hand with hypocrisy. Welcome to calpoly. Welcome to the CSU. Welcome to the world.


0

Way to offend white males.


0

jimmy_me – if you want you think the Adm. is in charge – HA!! I was appalled at the lack of control over the election outcome and what ensured. As a parent of a Cal Poly student. If you think that some speaker should be banned from coming and people having a “CHOICE” to go hear him — then I want the damn Professors to keep their political views to themselves – because the students attending their class DON’T have a choice to leave their class without consequences!!! The Professors and other disruptive BRATS need to respect the other students! The Professors need to TEACH their classes – do their job – what our TAXES dollars are paying them to do!!! And for the whiney little babes that were falling apart after the election – what the heck are they going to do when they get JOBS??? Their employers, at least our business, would not allow for them to take off from their work because they could function after their candidate didn’t win (waaaaaa). So, now I imagine the same people who where out there with their “hate speech” about the elected President are the same weaklinks that are up in arms about this speaker. OHHHHHH, but if they want to have someone come and rip on the new President….ohhhhh that would be OK by them!! Free Speech….


0

Then why did I have to take calpoly’s harassment training, which constrains what I can say and who I can say it to? Where are the first amendment people in this context? There is no free speech; what we have is the people in charge trying to foist their opinions and values on those below them. The calpoly admin does not give a crap about your student: they want their money and are hoping your student doesn’t sue the school if a campus employee dares exercise their right to free speech.


0

The irrepressible urge of the left to censor speech with which they disagree is on full display here.

The unsubstantiated description of the truths Yiannopoulos talks about as “hate speech” is ridiculous. The First Amendment has nothing in it about what kinds of speech are allowed, and the leftist term “hate speech” is nowhere to be found in the Constitution.

That Mr. Cooper attempts to sugarcoat this blatant example of intolerance by suggesting it is to “improve the campus environment” is laughable. Ending censorship of ideas would certainly improve the campus environment.

Perhaps if the students, adults, presumably, were exposed to ideas other than those of the mostly leftist faculty they would not feel the need to wear diaper safety pins and look for places safe from rough truths.


0

FREE SPEECH! Something about the Constitution comes to mind…I just can’t seem to remember.

If YOU don’t like it…don’t attend.


0

This speech isn’t FREE. He’s being paid to spew his hate and filth — and some deluded people call it entertainment.


Free speech is when you get up and speak your mind, without being hired and paid to do it.


0
1 2 3