256 Comments

Freedom To Offend

Freedom to Offend

just now

I'm in Canada and it's worse here. What bothers me is not just the creeping authoritarianism and censorship, it's the way that so many people actually support it. Their thinking is neaderthal: well that's not nice, they shouldn't say that, and we should force them to stop it. It's that basic. I am a professor/lecturer under suspension for a LI response to a guy who was calling for the extermination of Israel. I had just watched the Hamas massacre videos, and I wasn't feeling too jocular. I said I stood with Israel and said if you stand with Hamas, you stand with Nazis and then listed the less than glorious accomplishments of Hamas—presto - Human Rights Complaint against me. I've been suspended for four months and banned, banished, threatened, and defamed, I regret nothing, but some actual anti-semite (hundreds of posts, a lover of Hamas, the Houthis, dictators, hater of all thing Western) had a human rights complaint and he has had nothing happen to him, nothing, he's on campus, they've ignored it for six weeks and in six days with me they were shaking with rage at me, I am now accused (for my post) as a violent threat, accused of assault at school (when I was at home as I was banned from school), they have shredded me. And the VP has told her staff that I will be fired even though they are doing this Orwellian (I would say Kafka, but it's just trying to be smart; I haven't read him since high school, and I know his character became a dung beetle, that's it) They have lawyers threatening me, my table is stacked with paperwork. Everyone says I will be fired, everyone. And the real anti-semite, nothing. But I don't think he should be fired, I think he's a nasty racist ass but I don't think he should be fired. Seriously, free speech isn't a thing anymore, it's not, it's off with their heads. They take themselves so seriously. I'm supposed to meet some investigator; I will tell her off the entire two hours and tell her she's an idiot; I don't care. But my question is, the uni only cares about me talking to the media; they are obsessed; I'm not concerned about them getting their panties in a bunch (oh no, shouldn't say that), and if they want to fire me, they will, and we will see what the union does. But I don't have a lawyer anymore; she got too busy, and I'm not inclined to follow their stupid NDA. I told them truthfully I was on too much morphine when I signed because of kidney stones; it's a creative excuse; do they get to silence me? I'm tired of it. The union idiots want me to show remorse, but I'm not doing it. It's not only the societal ignorance on what free speech is, but it's these pompous twits with their serious faces acting me like I've been running a child slave ring; it irks me. If they fired me, could they throw me in jail for talking? I'm not signing any NDA, and I'm not shutting up. As a nation, we don't value free speech anymore; we are a nation of idiots. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/teacher-fights-back-suspended-denouncing-hamas

Expand full comment

Calling it a phobia, or irrationalional fear, IS Nazi-ish.

Expand full comment

How can we send support and food to Professor Hassner?

Expand full comment

If the university admin were committed to getting rid of students who are physically violent, they could absolutely do so.

Expand full comment

Muslims have been attacking the West ever since their existence, first they took over the Levant, then Iberia, then the Balkans, and in the past 50 or so years bombing here, fatwas there - I am not aware of Jews, either as individuals or organizations, speaking up in support of "Christians". I guess it is "our" problem only.

Jews and Muslims - 2 groups that are unwilling to assimilate bring their conflict to whatever country they chose to be living in. One group thinks they are god's gift to the world, the other that the world is god's gift to them.

Expand full comment

Not all hero's wear capes. This is the type of writing I treasure and am grateful for. Don't stop.

Expand full comment

Horrified to read what Jewish students endure....unless they are "good Jews" if for the pro hamas thugs there is such a thing. I recall my university setting....my "Zionist calendar" my Jewish roommate quipped because I put up a Bank Leumi calendar which showed only scenes of natural beauty in Israel....not one photo of the IDF or the Israeli flag....I can only imagine the abuse I would encounter today....this anecdote from fifty years ago.

Expand full comment

He lost me when his demands included "islamophobia" traning.

Expand full comment

Won't give their names. Cowards, all. Who don't have the courage of their convictions and cosplay at revolution.

Meanwhile, our president won't acknowledge all this rampant antisemitism in his SOTU address but instead talks about potato chips and Snickers.

Expand full comment

“I know that in a world of identity politics, it really matters who you are. Isn’t it a terrible shame that the only people who are willing to stand up to antisemitism are Jews?”

Yes. that is terrible.

And yes, it is obscene that students see what is happening in Gaza and use the word genocide. Its not. What the hamas charter calls for is genocide.

Expand full comment

Proud half-Jew here. (Jewish father, Dutch Reformed mother.) Excellent article; exactly what I hope for from TFP. The phrase "Jew hate" leaps out at me. I just can't wrap my head around the fact that such heat is coming from the left. Charlottesville, Tree of Life: that sort of agitation and hatred is not unfamiliar, although terrible enough. But the idea that campus intolerance has reached this point amazes me. Hassner is a hero, in my book; a man of conscience. I'm sure most here have read Franklin Foer's recent cover story in the Atlantic. If you haven't, do. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/04/us-anti-semitism-jewish-american-safety/677469/

Expand full comment

It amazes me how so many educated people employ one stage thinking. Never asking themselves what the consequences of their actions may be, and then are surprised at the result when it was readily apparent to begin with.

Expand full comment

Myself and other Trump voters openly stand with Israel. Jews never stood with me when our statues honoring our war dead here in Dixie were vandalized and removed. But it doesn’t change my opinion, I stand with Israel still because it’s the right thing to do. Maybe some Jews will learn something from all this about who to vote for.

Expand full comment

I would love to take professor Hassner's “War in the Middle East” class. I think it would be enlightening, interesting and entertaining. I also support his protest 100% and hope it makes a difference.

Expand full comment
Mar 14·edited Mar 16

I don't know why the Police couldn't arrest members of the attacking mob while the event was taking place, rather than waiting until now when their faces are covered in the video.

Expand full comment

This will be nothing to what is planned over the next eight months, pre-election. The left have their mercenaries now in most states, fighting age men from countries where they have been street fighting for decades.

Expand full comment