Freedom of Speech - Just Watch What You Say

Another week, another contretemps over freedom of expression. As usual, this First Amendment assault is not limited to the right or left wing. While the courts almost always end up affirming free speech rights, watching both sides of extremists grapple over words they find unacceptable is painful to watch and witness.

Here in Massachusetts, Harvard President Larry Summers is under siege from students, faculty and self-appointed politically correct police because of some disparaging comments he made about women in math and science. In Washington, Republican Senator Ted Stevens made a complete fool of himself when he wanted to extend indecency standards to satellite and cable television. Both of these attacks, and these narrow-minded assaults happen all the time, share a puritan obsession of not only imposing the dissenters’ viewpoints on others, but a thin-skinned intolerance to any differing opinion. I wish I could remember who said this quote that I heard in college and never forgot: “Liberals and conservatives are all for another point of view, until someone comes up with one.”

Harvard first. Harvard has always been portrayed as a left-wing hotbed, although I never think it was more liberal than other university towns (most of Cambridge, Mass., is actually a blue-collar neighborhood). Summers made some well-documented remarks about genetics possibly being a reason why there are few women in research science. Disparaging? Perhaps. Controversial and worth investigating? Maybe. Worthy of widespread protest and a non-binding no confidence vote? No way.

A university, especially one as esteemed as Harvard, should be an exchange of ideas and a place where research and debate are encouraged. If Summers’ theory is wrong (and he prefaced his comments by hoping he was), it can then be logically disproved. But I’m surprised at the knee-jerk hostility and lingering vitriol to Summers’ comments. He was discussing science and genetics, not political or social issues where gender equality is a right in this country. And in this country, President Summers, you and I have the right to hypothesize and pontificate whatever we want without fear of reprisal.

Even if you completely disagree with his comments, there is absolutely no reason to crucify Summers with a no confidence vote. Any faculty member who voted yes is basically saying, “You’re not fit to run this university because we don’t like what you said.” This wasn’t hate speech – it was a theory (arguably based in scientific fact that there are mental differences between men and women). But when you’re dealing with a rabidly partisan liberal body that values emotion over reality and science, you’re not going to get a rational reaction. They are welcome to protest Summers without fear of punishment – just as he should be welcome to present an important subject for debate without fear as well.

As for Senator Stevens, this is another example of an extreme viewpoint – in this case the right-wing – pushing for government censorship against free speech. I’ve ranted below in this column about Former FCC Chairman Michael Powell, who turned his regulatory agency into a nanny state that is deciding for you what is and is not indecent. Now the Republicans, who are supposed to be for less government interference are asking why cable is unregulated. Stevens, who is from Alaska, must have hit his head on the top of his igloo. Cable is SUPPOSED to be unregulated, you dope. That’s why people pay for it. It’s a voluntary service. Even Powell said the FCC shouldn’t touch cable or satellite radio, but don’t think this is over.

You would think that having been burned by trying to regulate the Internet in the 1990s, Congress would have learned more about the First Amendment, not to mention how not to waste taxpayer dollars in court. But what both the Summers and Stevens episodes illustrate is how overzealous and hyper-emotional partisans on both sides of the political aisle want to slice free speech off at the knees and punish anyone who doesn’t subscribe to their narrow viewpoints. You may not always agree with the ACLU, but at least they don’t discriminate when it comes to upholding your right to speak your mind no matter what you may say. Free speech means free speech for everyone.

Voltaire said, “I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” That’s what Freedom of Speech is all about. And it’s in the First Amendment as a non-partisan issue. Case closed.