Rantz: Triggered Seattle UW students throw hissy fit after ‘free speech’ flyers posted

Libertarian students posted flyers promoting free speech rights at the University of Washington in Seattle. Some Huskies were triggered. At UW, you either toe the left-wing line or become the target of harassment, intimidation, or bullying.

Huskies for Liberty is a new student-run organization at UW. One of their goals is to promote an open exchange of ideas. The group posted dozens of flyers around campus noting that “UW is the lowest ranked public school for free speech.” It promoted a Tuesday night meeting to discuss campus censorship and other issues around speech.

But at the UW, left-wing students don’t support speech they disagree with. Not understanding irony, students have been vandalizing the flyers.

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‘Fascist’ vandalism

Some posters are being tagged with messages by students who don’t understand the words they’re using.

“Shut up fascists,” read one of the messages written by a third-year gender studies major whose only shot at being successful in life is if they trip in a puddle at a Safeway, then sue for negligence.

These kids can’t define “fascist,” so they don’t realize they’re the only ones acting like them.

Most of the flyers aren’t being tagged; most of the liberal students can’t spell “fascist,” so they’re tearing the flyers down instead.

On its Instagram page, Huskies for Liberty has been posting images of the damage. But it’s not stopping them from promoting the cause. In fact, it reminds them why it’s so important to fight for free speech.

 

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A post shared by Huskies for Liberty (@huskiesliberty)

Huskies for Liberty speak out

Cole Daigneault is at UW as one of the student leaders behind Huskies for Liberty. He was disgusted, but not surprised, that the flyers were vandalized.

“I can’t say, unfortunately, that it’s too surprising, but it is still disappointing. I mean, you’ve seen the flyer, there’s nothing on there that I feel should be all that offensive to anyone,” Daigneault told the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.

The journalism major said he wishes students would understand the importance of supporting free speech on campus. He notes that the tables could be turned and their speech could be on the line someday. He doesn’t want to see that happen. In fact, he said he wants Huskies for Liberty to be a “big tent” student group where all are welcome.

“We want to make sure that people understand where we’re coming from, that this issue of free speech is for everyone. And to the people that tear our posters down or cover them up, what I would say is, we’re on your side, ultimately. We support your ability to express yourself. But in order for that to work for everyone, we need to promote a culture that respects free expression, no matter who it is that’s speaking. And I think that’s where I think some of our student body communities, unfortunately, a little bit myopic, and that they fail to see a scenario where eventually the pendulum is going to swing back the other way.”

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This is the real threat to democracy

Back in 2004, someone told me to “imagine the power to censor in the hands of your worst enemy.” It’s stuck with me to this day. And whether it’s UW students tearing down flyers or left-wing Twitter employees censoring conservative tweets, the message is important.

Right now, the left has control of the culture, and they’re silencing people they disagree with. But imagine if it were conservatives doing to liberals what liberals are doing to conservatives. Would they stand for it? Of course not. And they shouldn’t. Yet that’s what these students are doing: they’re abusing their power to silence the opposition. It’s intentional.

It’s easy to simply write off the triggered Huskies as ignorant. They’re just 18- to 21-year-olds with little to no meaningful life experiences. They don’t understand what’s on the line when they censor speech the way they do.

While it’s certainly true these students are naive and ignorant, what they’re doing is intentional. They’ve been taught it.

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Liberals struggle to win arguments on the merits. Some are just so arrogant they think their positions are beyond debate. Accept their view and shut up! And if you don’t, they’ll silence you. They intimidate, bully, threaten, or even get violent. We saw their strategy unfold during the Black Lives Matter and Antifa riots that left-wing politicians and media outlets either ignored or justified.

But that’s not how a free society works. It’s not how democracy works.

We hear a lot about democracy being on the line — Democrats scream this constantly — while working to ensure political opposition doesn’t have a say. That’s the actual threat to democracy.

Listen to the Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast. Follow @JasonRantz on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Check back frequently for more news and analysis.

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