{"id":2127230,"date":"2023-12-17T05:25:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-17T10:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/entitled-to-your-opinion\/"},"modified":"2023-12-17T05:34:38","modified_gmt":"2023-12-17T10:34:38","slug":"entitled-to-your-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/entitled-to-your-opinion\/","title":{"rendered":"Respect for Your Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">8<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fentitled-to-your-opinion%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2127230&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture \u200bUndermines Trust and Threatens Us All\u2014But There \u2064is a Solution<\/h2>\n<div>\n<blockquote>\n<p>In 2022, an art history\u200d professor lost\u2062 her job\u200c at an American \u200duniversity for showing\u2064 a painting to her class. \u2062It was one\u200c of the more flagrant recent violations\u2063 of freedom of speech\u2063 at Ground Zero\u2062 for \u200dsuch violations\u2014academia. Erika Lopez Prater showed &#8220;The Prophet\u200c Mohammad Receiving Revelation\u2063 from \u200cthe Angel\u2062 Gabriel,&#8221; \u200dpainted by\u2062 a Muslim\u2062 king to honor his faith, but not before issuing a warning and\u200d an opt-out to students who might find \u200dthe portrayal of \u2064the\u200d prophet sacrilegious or offensive.\u2062 No one opted out, but one student complained, holding \u2064a makeshift\u2062 press\u200c conference to \u200ddeclare the image \u200b&#8221;actually hurts\u2062 all\u200b of us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>The Suppression of Freedom of \u2064Speech in Academia<\/h3>\n<p>Lopez Prater\u2019s bosses at\u2064 Hamline University \u2063issued a statement paying lip service to &#8220;robust \u2026 intellectual inquiry&#8221; before revoking her job offer \u200dfor the next semester and saying her speech was &#8220;undeniably\u2063 \u2026 Islamophobic.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve probably heard \u2064a story like \u2064the opening case study in <em>The Canceling of the\u200d American\u2064 Mind: \u2064Cancel Culture Undermines\u2063 Trust and Threatens\u200c Us All\u2014But There is a Solution<\/em>. There are enough of these \u200danecdotes to literally fill several books (I <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/End-Discussion-Outrage-Industry-Manipulates\/dp\/0553447777\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3P56III0KJCVQ&#038;keywords=mary+katharine+ham+guy+benson&#038;qid=1702225799&#038;s=books&#038;sprefix=mary+katharine+ham+guy+benson%2Cstripbooks%2C77&#038;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cowrote<\/a> one of them myself!). Though the locus \u200cis elite universities and other seats of power, damage\u200b extends far beyond to unpublicized \u2062incidents\u2064 and\u2063 chilled speech among the more than 80 percent\u2064 of \u200dAmericans in surveys who consider cancel \u200bculture a problem\u200b that could come for them.<\/p>\n<p>And yet, some on the left\u200b would use\u2064 the existence of this book, \u2064written by Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott, to say there is no \u2063loss of \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/convulsions-at-yale-law-school-administrators-do-damage-control-as-faculty-members-slam-schools-dishonesty\/\" title=\"Convulsions at Yale Law School: Administrators Do Damage Control as Faculty Members Slam School\u2019s Dishonesty\">free speech culture<\/a>, that &#8220;cancel culture&#8221; is a \u2064right-wing moral panic.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You see,\u200d these critics are able to publish books and talk\u2062 about them in public! There \u200dis no problem here.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>It is fitting, then, that <em>The Canceling of the American\u2063 Mind<\/em> is most useful as a bulwark against that exact form of gaslighting. The coauthors work for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a nonprofit that defends speech in\u200d court and\u2063 on campus. They use data from their time in the trenches to make\u200d the case \u200cthat cancel culture\u2014&#8221;the uptick beginning around 2014, and accelerating \u2062in 2017 and after, of\u200b campaigns \u2062to get people fired, disinvited, \u200bdeplatformed, \u200bor\u2063 otherwise \u200dpunished for speech that is, or would be\u200b protected by First Amendment standards,\u200b and the climate of fear and conformity that has\u2064 resulted from this uptick&#8221;\u2014is real and getting worse, along with some tips to improve it.<\/p>\n<p>A\u2064 follow-on to <em>The Coddling\u2062 of the American Mind<\/em>, which Lukianoff wrote with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt in 2018, <em>Canceling<\/em> moves\u2063 from its predecessor\u2019s \u200bexplanation of the pernicious mental-health effects \u200bof the mindset\u2064 of cancel culture to a dissection of the\u200b tactics and statistics of its\u2063 rise, this time \u200cwith the Gen-Z\u200c perspective of Schlott,\u200d who \u2063came through New \u2064York University in the thick of these fights.<\/p>\n<p>The modern era of cancel culture, post 2014, &#8220;has resulted\u2062 in almost 200 professor terminations,&#8221; while 100-150 professors \u2062were terminated in the second Red Scare \u2063(1947-57). Doubling McCarthyism is quite a stat. Since 2000, 60 tenured professors have\u2063 been fired for speech that is protected \u2062by the First Amendment,\u200d with two-thirds of those coming in the short post-2015\u200d time period. In less than\u2063 a\u2063 decade, FIRE\u200d has compiled a list of 1,000 attempts\u2062 to \u2064get professors\u200b &#8220;fired, \u2062punished, or otherwise\u2064 silenced,&#8221; even the \u200dunsuccessful of which chill speech and solidify\u200d conformity on campus.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Americans should absolutely believe \u2063their eyes,&#8221; Lukianoff and Schlott write. &#8220;In terms of sheer \u2064numbers, \u2062its\u200b scale is unprecedented.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Led by \u200dcultural elites, the correct understanding of\u2063 freedom of\u200b speech\u200d &#8220;as the necessary\u2063 tool\u200d of the powerless \u200bagainst the powerful&#8221; has been flipped on its\u200b head,\u200c and &#8220;very powerful institutions now argue it\u2019s the weapon\u2064 of the\u2063 powerful\u200c against the powerless.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The \u2062book takes \u2063both political sides\u200c to task while spending most of its time on \u200dthreats from the left, including in the \u200cfield\u200d of medicine, where\u200b public trust fell off a cliff during COVID cancel culture. The authors oppose \u2063legislation pushed by Republicans in Florida and a handful of other states meant to eliminate\u200c &#8220;divisive concepts&#8221; like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jordan-threatens-fbi-director-wray-with-contempt-over-targeting-parents-catholics\/\" title=\"Jordan warns FBI Director Wray of contempt for 'targeting' parents, Catholics.\">critical \u2063race theory<\/a> from curricula, which &#8220;can tend \u2064to be quite \u2064vague&#8221; and \u200cinvite frivolous\u200d lawsuits, causing teachers to\u200d censor themselves from the right in the same way college culture demands they do from the left. \u200dBut the authors also say decisions on\u2063 K-12 \u2063curriculum and &#8220;age \u200bappropriateness are within the \u2063jurisdiction of a school board.&#8221; They note\u2064 conservatives \u200chave an equally effective if less academic way of fencing themselves off\u2063 from dissenting opinions and account for about a third\u2062 of professor sanctions.<\/p>\n<p>The team \u200deffort from both sides\u200b of\u2064 the aisle is jettisoning a generation of cultural wins for the Free Speech Movement. Though the legal scaffolding remains, it\u2019s\u200d up to us, they say, to maintain a \u2063free society on those \u2062supports. It sounds simple\u2014a return to old saws \u2063like &#8220;to each his\u200d own&#8221; and &#8220;everyone is entitled \u2063to their\u2064 own opinion&#8221; and &#8220;take seriously the possibility you might be wrong.&#8221; It\u2019s not easy when living those values, raising anti-canceling kids,\u200b and being a voice\u2063 against conformity risks harsh punishment. But it\u2062 is \u200bthe antidote to our authoritarian tendencies.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust and Threatens Us All\u2014But There \u2062Is a \u2062Solution<\/em><br \/>  by Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott<br \/> \u200cSimon &#038; Schuster, 464 pp., $29.99<\/p>\n<p><em>Mary Katharine Ham \u200cis a contributor \u200cto<\/em> Outkick<em>, cohost of the<\/em> <em>Getting Hammered<\/em> <em>podcast, and coauthor with\u2064 Guy Benson of<\/em> End \u200cof Discussion: How \u200bthe Left\u2019s \u2063Outrage Industry Shuts Down Debate, Manipulates Voters, and Makes \u2063America Less Free (and \u200bFun).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What strategies\u200c can universities and other institutions employ to promote robust debate and the exchange of \u200dideas?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Itical\u2064 sides to \u200btask. Both the\u2063 left \u200band the right have contributed to the rise \u2063of cancel culture and the erosion of free speech. The authors \u200bhighlight the dangers of\u200b this\u2063 culture of fear and conformity, where individuals are afraid to voice their opinions\u2064 or engage in open dialogue. They argue that cancel culture not\u200d only \u200dundermines \u2062trust and stifles creativity, but it also\u200c poses a \u200cthreat to democracy itself.<\/p>\n<p>The solution, according to the \u200dauthors, lies in\u200d embracing the principles\u200d of viewpoint diversity and intellectual humility. They argue that\u200d universities and other institutions should serve as platforms for robust debate and the \u2064exchange of ideas, rather than echo chambers that reinforce \u200ca specific ideology. \u200dThey propose a number of strategies, such as implementing free speech policies, promoting critical\u200c thinking skills, and fostering an environment of respect and open-mindedness.<\/p>\n<p>However, the authors acknowledge that navigating the complexities of cancel culture is not easy. They recognize that\u2062 there are \u2064genuine instances where action needs to be taken \u200bto address harmful speech or behavior. They caution \u2063against an overly simplistic \u200dapproach that dismisses all concerns about cancel culture as \u2062mere censorship, while also urging for\u2064 a\u200c more nuanced understanding\u2062 that doesn&#8217;t stifle \u2062legitimate discourse.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, &#8220;The Canceling of the American Mind&#8221; is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pixars-elemental-flops-in-box-office-debut-with-disneys-first-nonbinary-character\/\" title=\"Pixar's Elemental disappoints at box office as Disney introduces first nonbinary character.\">thought-provoking exploration<\/a> of the dangers \u2062posed by cancel culture and the erosion of free speech. It serves as a wake-up call for\u200b society to confront \u200cthe\u2064 ways in which we <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/facebooks-oversight-board-will-remove-posts-flagged-by-users\/\" title=\"Facebook\u2019s Oversight Board Will Remove Posts Flagged By Users\">silence dissenting voices<\/a> and \u200cto actively work towards creating an environment that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/marjorie-taylor-greene-hits-house-gops-who-voted-against-mayorkas-impeachment-resolution\/\" title=\"Marjorie Taylor Greene hits House GOPs who voted against Mayorkas impeachment resolution\">values open dialogue<\/a> and intellectual diversity. By doing so, we \u2064can rebuild trust, promote understanding, \u200cand protect \u2064the foundations of our democracy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2022, an American university dismissed an art history professor for exhibiting a painting in her class. This incident exemplified a blatant infringement on freedom of speech within academia, a recurring issue. Erika Lopez Prater showcased &#8220;The Prophet Mohammad Receiving Revelation from the Angel Gabriel,&#8221; an artwork that sparked controversy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2607,"featured_media":2127231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2127230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2127230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2607"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2127230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2127230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2127231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2127230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2127230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2127230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}