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Feb. 12, 2024 Editor, The News-Gazette: I found Mike Lowry’s recent piece on free speech to be highly problematic.
In his piece, the clearest example of speech he discussed, where freedom should be protected, is protest speech. However, disturbingly, Lowry was critical of those engaged in protest speech.
In contrast, freedom of speech does not mean that everyone gets to be an invited speaker at a university. There are space limits and financial limits as to who gets to be such a speaker, and, accordingly, nearly everyone does not get to speak in that way.
Members of the university community select the very small number of people who will get to be such speakers, and certainly, if Lowry truly believed in free speech, he would welcome people voicing their opinions, including by protest, about who will be selected for one of the very small number of invited speaker opportunities.
Moreover, I think if Lowry truly believed in free speech, he would welcome the fact that DEI programs often provide a voice for people from marginalized groups who previously did not have one.
Lastly, I think it is highly disingenuous for Lowry to describe the interaction during Matt Walsh’s question-and-answer as being “respectful.” Yes, the audience member was respectful toward Walsh during the interaction, but Walsh was dismissive, overconfident, and arrogant and never allowed the audience member a chance for any response or follow-up – exactly the type of interaction for which the term “mansplaining” exists. DAVID TOOMEY Lexington
