UW-Madison has
announced a new program
designed to
“foster and strengthen
civil dialogue
across the university.”
So in recent years we've
seen student protesters
take over Library Mall
in protest over Gaza.
We've seen conservative groups
book speakers
accused of hate speech.
How would this
program deal
with those types
of environments?
Well, I mean
in some way, protest
is part of free speech.
It's absolutely permitted
under the First Amendment.
But you can also have
time, place
and manner rules
that limit it.
Similarly, we've
had many speakers from
across the political spectrum
including very
conservative speakers
as well as
very left-leaning ones
who've come to campus
and shared their views
with people who are interested
in hearing from them
without incident.
I think that
is absolutely part
of what needs to happen
on the university campus.
We also need
more opportunities
for people
who disagree
with each other to show
that they can do that
diplomatically
respectfully
not necessarily
succeeding in changing
each other's mind.
But, when you hear
from someone with a different
point of view
sometimes it does
change your mind.
Other times it sharpens
and focuses your own arguments.