Ideas 33 years of the campus free speech controversy
Oct 27, 2025
Dax D'Arazio, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Guelph, explores the historical roots of campus free speech controversies. He contrasts modern debates with the early '90s, revealing fears of self-censorship among students. Dinesh D'Souza shares insights from a 1992 discussion, emphasizing how activists can silence dissent by branding critics as bigots. Together, they analyze how sensitivity rules impact classroom discussions on race and gender, linking ongoing debates to broader societal changes and political correctness.
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1990s Panic Mirrors Today's Debates
- The 1990s political correctness panic echoes today's debates over "woke" and DEI, showing language changes but recurring conflicts.
- Matthew Lazen-Rider argues these recurring flashpoints reveal how little progress we've made in resolving campus culture wars.
Harvard Complaint Example
- Dinesh D'Souza recounts Harvard students filing complaints against Professor Thernstrom for using terms like "American Indians" and discussing black family breakdowns.
- The complaints led to public vilification and university admonitions that chilled classroom debate.
Hate-Speech Rules Can Chill Debate
- D'Souza warns that hate-speech rules can be used to suppress legitimate debate on ethnicity and gender.
- He contends censorship, not dialogue, is being used to avoid uncomfortable but necessary discussions.
