[Vision2020] Re: David Irving - Caution

[Mushroom]

Melynda Huskey wrote:
> 
> Freedom of speech is not the guarantee of a venue.  Mr. Irving does have the
> right to express his views, however peculiar; the use of the Mark IV (or any
> other privately owned business) in which to express them is *not* a right.


Organizing to ignore someone seems fine to me. Organizing to
prevent someone from speaking creeps me out.

What would you do if one faculty member or student invited
Mr. Irving to speak on the UI campus? I'd want him to be
given that opportunity and I'd work to keep people away.
Protesting his appearance by meeting in some other venue
would be fine. Picketing his appearance would be fine as
long as he was allowed to speak, although that would give
him more publicity. Protesting his appearance with a
continuing
educational campaign would be fine.

But it seems to me that we're right on the edge of saying
Mr. Irving is so awful that he doesn't deserve the right of
free speech. I would say, rather, that he is awful and DOES
deserve the right of free speech.

Don Coombs