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wolfasawolf's avatar

I’m a recent student so I might be too focused on the educational side of things, but I’ve see FIRE take over the, “ACLU docket” in the campus free-speech and Title-IX context over my four years in school. If I was a student in trouble I would have definitely reached out to FIRE rather than the ACLU. FIRE has been steadfastly non-partisan and committed to principle, while the ACLU has shifted to being a political litigation group.

It’s disappointing to me because I think that while campus free speech issues tend to be viewed as a conservative issue nowadays, speech codes and the lack of due process in administrative hearings can be just as dangerous for the progressive causes the ACLU now espouses.

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Matt Stillerman's avatar

In my opinion the President does not have a right to free speech. His speech is constrained by his oath of office. The oath appears in the Constitution, and is no less fundamental than the First Amendment. He can, and should, be prevented from speech that violates that oath.

The ACLU may well have lost their way. I will reserve judgement. I was always a bit uncomfortable with their free speech absolutism.

Certainly, when speech endangers public safety (as in recent events), the state has a responsibility to intervene. Arguably, former President Trump's speech did endanger public safety. So, even if that speech was not a violation of his oath, it should have been prevented.

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