[Conor Friedersdorf]
Kids on college campuses really have a talent for acting out the worst tendencies of the left:
In response to a series of controversies over abortion debates on Canadian campuses, the student government of York University in Toronto has tabled an outright ban on student clubs that are opposed to abortion.
Gilary Massa, vice-president external of the York Federation of Students, said student clubs will be free to discuss abortion in student space, as long as they do it "within a pro-choice realm," and that all clubs will be investigated to ensure compliance."You have to recognize that a woman has a choice over her own body," Ms. Massa said. "We think that these pro-life, these anti-choice groups, they're sexist in nature ... The way that they speak about women who decide to have abortions is demoralizing. They call them murderers, all of them do ... Is this an issue of free speech? No, this is an issue of women's rights."
The vaunted right to not have people disagree with you in ways you find offensive. Here's a weird detail:
Margaret Fung, co-president of York's Students for Bioethical Awareness, the school's only anti-abortion group, was not consulted.
"It's just very strange that I was never contacted," she said. "I guess that means we can't use the student centre building."
Somehow I'm not surprised that they didn't call her up. The school's administration, to its credit, is criticizing the policy.
I'm not necessarily sure if this is a manifestation of the Left, or the result of Generation Y being raised in swaddling clothes, insulated from anything that might hurt their little feelings, including disagreeable opinions.
Oh heavens. Free speech means that sometimes, people will say things that you don't like. This is why college students protest their administrations so much: Sometimes the administrations are MORONIC.
In addition to criticizing the policy, York's administration should require Ms. Massa to take a course in elementary logic.
As any half-competent political scientist could have predicted, once Canada's most powerful interest group (the Jewish lobby, same as in the United States) gained enough power to end freedom of speech, lesser interest groups will want to do likewise.
The school's administration, to its credit, is criticizing the policy.
That is actually the only surprising part of this report: York University is well known for their odd concepts about free speech. This new policy is quite consistent with previous activities at York.
To be fair, I know for a fact this happens in the opposite direction as well. I went to a Catholic college, and there were definite limits on pro-choice groups.
I think it's stupid and against the whole point of a university to be putting up speech bans, in either direction, but I think it's only fair to point out that all points of the political spectrum are prone to the sorts of idiocies you highlight in this post.
In my experience, neither the left nor the right has a monopoly on moronic actions.
Let's see, was it The Left who wanted to lock up critics of the GWOT as traitors?
I don't know, Mike. The Left has made this a fetish, and comforted themselves endlessly with fake Jefferson quotes about dissent, but I've never heard anyone in any position of power say that mere critics should be locked up as traitors.
So perhaps it was The Left, since it wasn't anyone on the right.
Intellectually immature, college-aged political activists doing/saying/advocating something stupid? Weird...
(Something tells me Ms. Massa will one day look back on this with a touch of embarrassment.)
It's hard to say on the basis of what's been posted, but is this really a ban imposed religious groups on campus being supported by government money?
That seems much more reasonable.
"To be fair, I know for a fact this happens in the opposite direction as well. I went to a Catholic college, and there were definite limits on pro-choice groups." Peter Bautista
TR: Unless this school is run by an avowedly Pro-Choice religion I don't see how the two are comparable.
"To be fair, I know for a fact this happens in the opposite direction as well. I went to a Catholic college, and there were definite limits on pro-choice groups." Peter Bautista
TR: Unless this school is run by an avowedly Pro-Choice religion I don't see how the two are comparable.
Posted by Thomas R | May 30, 2008 9:17 PM
------Thanks for making my point Thomas. If you go to a Catholic school, you go with full knowledge that abortion rhetoric from the people that fund the school is staunchly pro-life. A public university, however, cannot speak "for the public" the way a Church university is expected to speak "for the Church".
"Jeff Goldman"
Uhhh, Cedarford, is that you???
I am not sure what Cedarford refers to, but I am not Cedarford.
"It's hard to say on the basis of what's been posted, but is this really a ban imposed religious groups on campus being supported by government money?"
No. Actually, religious clubs that happen to be pro-life are still allowed at York. Non-religious clubs dedicated to the pro-life position are not. The ban targets non-sectarian groups which take a particular position on abortion.
As Ms. Massa herself has put it (http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/435137):
"“This policy does not apply to religious organizations,” said Massa. “It only applies to groups whose sole purpose is to spew anti-choice rhetoric on our campus.”"
Speaking of rhetoric...
Happened at Wash U Law School a few years ago. Not just a Canuckian thing.
This is Canada where we the RIGHT to freedom of speech. This does not apply to York? Education is not about forcing one’s views on society, it’s about debate, being open minded and respectfully disagreeing with others. True education does not force its views and agenda’s unto the student body. Stop forcing your morality and values on the entire student population at York. The pro abortion students always talk about the pro lifers not being ‘open minded’, yet this is the very thing that is not occurring on York campus by the pro ‘choice’ students. If York students are truly for “choice”, choosing LIFE is one of the choices available. It appears that York University does not want the TRUTH of abortion and all it’s harm to be exposed. Abortion hurts women and women are starting to speak out about how their abortion hurt them and the lies they were told, one being that it would make everything better. It’s a life, in fact, abortion is a sign that society has let women down! When women have to choose between education and sacrificing the child in their womb, it proves that women actually feel they have no choice at all! We will NEVER have peace in our world, until there is peace in the womb! Let the violence stop here.
Universities should provide a supportive environment for women who are pregnant on campus. But, it’s the very last thing that is happening; instead, women are being pressured not to tell their parents, and are petrified of losing their education. Pro choice? Hardly. Only ONE choice is allowed to be expressed at York. Open mindedness? Hardly.
We can’t forget that abortion stops a beating heart and ends a life of another person. A woman innately understands this in the core of her being, that is why abortion hurts so much. A woman is a mother from the moment of conception onwards. Abortion interrupts and takes away the life within her and it is a pain that never goes away, despite all the healing that is offered. There is something about knowing that you can never meet this child and that you were responsible for the taking of a human life. Pro woman? No. Science, not pro lifers, not religion clearly states that a NEW human person is present at the moment of conception. A person exists who has separate DNA, a new personality, blood type, etc. Humans reproduce humans, not tissues or clumps of cells. Nor are we replica’s of our mother. What about the rights of the unborn women to THEIR bodies? They are not protected, in fact they are literally torn apart under their mother’s own beating heart. How can we call this choice GOOD? We are failing our women by lying to them and making it sound nice by calling it ‘choice.’ Some choices are not good choices and hurt us immensely…like abortion. (For those suffering from abortion, please know that you are loved and help is available to you in a very loving, non judgmental setting. You do not need to suffer in silence anymore. There is hope and healing. Please check out www.projectrachel.ca)
Do the right thing and allow students at York the freedom of speech that our Charter of Rights allows! I am appalled at the censorship and forcing minds to conform to YOUR agenda! This is SHOCKING and WRONG!
I will never recommend your University to anyone until you allow real education to occur at your school. Stop the silencing, stop the lies!
I had an abortion in 1986 when the world told me it was my choice and my right. They told me the 10 week old fetus I carried was only a blob of cells and a mass of tissue. I was not told that my child had a beating heart and that all of her organs were formed. No one told me she would feel the pain inflicted on her by MY CHOICE! What choice did she have? My womb should have been a safe place for her not a tomb. After the abortion I was told to shut up when I cried for my baby. Where was my freedom of speech? Some things haven't changed in 20 years. It seems to me the only choice I was given was to give birth to a dead baby or a live baby. May God forgive you Ms Massa. You have no idea what you are doing to your fellow sisters by denying them the truth of what abortion does not only to the child but to the woman who carries them. I will be silent no more.