Indiana State University Cancels Conservative Journalist Over “Safety Concerns”
We have previously discussed this common rationalization for barring conservative or libertarian speakers. No such concerns arise with speakers who are from the far left at universities.
Lowry had a verbal slip in an interview on the word "migrant" when he sounded like he used an "n" rather than a "m." He immediately corrected himself. No one who knows Lowry would suggest anything intentional or that this respected commentator was somehow using a code for the "n-word."
Lowry explained in a column :
"On Megyn Kelly's show, I was discussing the Springfield, Ohio, controversy, and, in the course of saying 'Haitian migrants,' I started to mispronounce the word 'migrants.' I began to say it with a short 'i,' the way you say 'immigrants,' instead of the long 'i' that you use for 'migrants.' I caught myself in the middle, before shifting to the correct pronunciation."
However, the usual flash mob immediately formed of hyperventilating hypocrites who rarely criticize intentional race baiting and rage rhetoric on the left.
When people on the left or the right have these moments (particularly when they immediately correct themselves), I give them the benefit of the doubt. I find that more likely than to assume that someone is a raving racist.
The level of deference on such slips seems to depend greatly on where a speaker is on the political spectrum.
There is a double standard maintained by the media. There was a feeding frenzy when Trump referred to protecting "black jobs" but nary a peep of objections when Biden (who also attacked Trump for the reference) used the same claim of protecting "Black jobs" in a later speech . Defenders on the left said that it was just a slip of the tongue.
In this case, ISU immediately caved and cancelled the event, citing the ever-convenient concern for "safety." It announced :
"Indiana State University prioritizes the safety of our students, campus community, and all invited speakers. In light of recent developments and following the advice of our public safety officials regarding campus and community safety concerns, we have made the decision to cancel Rich Lowry's scheduled appearance on September 30 as part of the Indiana State University Speaker Series.
In accordance with university policy, this decision is consistent with our commitment to maintaining a secure environment and ensuring the well-being of our students, faculty, staff, and the greater Terre Haute community. ... We are actively working to identify opportunities to invite a speaker with a proven history of promoting intellectually diverse viewpoints to the Speaker Series, which will be announced at a later date."
What the university clearly does not "prioritize" is maintaining a diversity of viewpoints or an environment of free speech. Lowry is one of the most popular commentators and the head of a leading conservative publication.
Lowry was scheduled to speak on the "Lessons from Lincoln" as well as contemporary politics and media.
Lowry responded with a column headlined : "Next Time Cancel Me for Something I Actually Said":
"It pains me to say I've also been canceled by the Badger Institute, the right-of-center think tank in Wisconsin. The president called on Tuesday to ask me to withdraw from an address at an upcoming dinner, and when I refused and asked him what I'd done wrong, he only said something or other about 'the environment.' When I flatly asked him whether he was disinviting me, he said, 'Yes.'
Cowardice is contagious."
This is a public university supported by a state with a majority of conservative and independent voters. Rather than accept the immediately correction, the university has cancelled Lowry's appearance. It is the common hair-triggered response that we have seen with conservative figures on campuses.
As I have previously written , the recent FIRE ranking on free speech shows that the lowest-ranking schools tend to be private universities, which are not subject to the full protections of free speech under the First Amendment. Conversely, the top performers this year are, notably, all public universities — Michigan Technological University, Auburn University, the University of New Hampshire, Oregon State University, and Florida State University.
The fact is that the better performance of public universities likely reflects compulsion rather than agreement for many faculty. Public universities must protect free speech as a matter of law.
The result, however, is a startling and growing divide among private and public universities. For parents and students who value free speech, they must increasingly look to public universities where faculty are subject to constitutional guarantees. In the same way, public universities may be the final line of defense for free-speech advocates.
The use of "safety concerns" has succeeded in many past instances to shield cancel campaigns, particularly at public universities.
