“the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence,”
A patently false statement, loaded with implications.
Criticizing the Israeli State of Apartheid is welcome.
Freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences. If these students and this letter author believe in their cause, they should have the courage of their convictions. They should put their names out and be proud of their ideals. They should be willing to accept the consequences that that speech brings.
I suspect the author of the letter and the students want free speech that is free from consequences. It is a thing many on the left and the right share when their positions are unpopular.
Anonymous speech is valid speech. There is no requirement for what you say, moral or ethical.
Just as there is no requirement that it be consequence free.
But to further your point. There is no right to anonymity. There is no requirement for what you say morally or ethically.
Too bad things like war crimes often go without consequences.
Well that is quite the false equivalence.
It sounds like some of the consequences of free speech is violence in this case.
I did not advocate for violence. I do advocate for consequences to actions. If you say something vile, you should expect for people to treat you as someone who said something vile.
What was in the letter that was vile enough to be attacked?
If signing it means being physically attacked, regardless of what was written, that is an assault on freedom of speech.
I have reread the article several times. No one in it advocates for violence against the authors of the letter. They do advocate for them losing jobs and other economic advantages. So not sure where you are even getting this from.
But to explore your ideology a little further. Do you advocate the same thing for Jewish people who support Israel? My guess is you don’t. Do you condemn Hamas for their “day of rage” proclamation, an actual call to violence?
I am curious for your answer. My guess is all of a sudden your position is more nuanced.
Try again, and look for the parts about death threats?
Is that a thing? Where did freedom of speech go?
As of 2021, 35 states have passed bills and executive orders designed to discourage boycotts of Israel. Many of them have been passed with broad bipartisan support. Most anti-BDS laws have taken one of two forms: contract-focused laws requiring government contractors to promise that they are not boycotting Israel; and investment-focused laws, mandating public investment funds to avoid entities boycotting Israel.
Freedom of speech is strictly to prevent the government from harassing you. It has nothing to do with private entities. This is why you can lose your job for saying racist shit, or be persecuted if you say something your college doesn’t like.
While that is true in the legal sense, there has also been a historical expectation (more so than reality) that universities were also meant to be bastions of free speech. And irrespective of legal protections, it is entirely reasonable for people to still be upset that other entities disregard it. Especially in cases where there are potential lifelong consequences for the people involved.
Freedom of speech is always at risk, that’s why we have to exercise and protect it everyday even when we don’t like the speakers.
They were accused of being auti-semites for criticizing Isreael, despite the fact that some of the protestors who are part of the movement are Jewish themselves.
Removed by mod
People like you are the problem. All this pointless violence and you just want more.
If they were advocating, hypothetically, for the wiping out of Gaza, I’d have no problem with them being blacklist. I certainly wouldn’t knowingly hire someone openly arguing for genocide to unclog my sink, much less for some corporate job.
I don’t see what free speech has to do with that. Freedom of speech and association are a thing for all parties.
Companies who blacklist people for signing that letter should be named and shamed/boycotted.
I 100% agree with you.
Freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences. If these students and this letter author believe in their cause, they should have the courage of their convictions. They should put their names out and be proud of their ideals. They should be willing to accept the consequences that that speech brings.
They aren’t being attacked for what they said, they are being slandered as terrorists sympathizers by a media and public that has not interest in critical thinking.
Many people have adopted the mantra that “freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences”. I disagree with those people.
So you think speech should be consequence free? We can literally say whatever we want and there should be no consequences?
So yelling fire in a crowded theater is cool with you?
