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Townhall: Mob Violence and Its Defenders

The Bishop Berkeley (1685 – 1783) famously advanced strange notions about the nature of ideas and existence . . . and proof of the latter on the grounds of the former.

This weekend’s column has nothing to do with that. It is about the Berkeley anti-Milo riots. And free speech taken as “violence” and violence regarded as “free speech.” Which is weirder than Bishop Berkeley’s philosophical idealism, come to think of it.

Anyway, no metaphysics by Paul Jacob at Townhall this weekend. Just common sense. Click here to view. Come back for citations:

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Today

Sir Robert Peel

On February 5, 1788, Robert Peel was born. He would become one of the most important of the United Kingdom’s prime ministers, ushering in some reforms that led to the liberalization of England in the 19th century. He is regarded as the father of the modern British police — the popular term “bobbies” refers to “Bob” Peel — and as one of the founders of the modern Conservative Party. Robert Peel died in 1850.

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video

Milo Y / Anti-Milo Why-Nots

Berkeley, home to the Free Speech movement in the “olden days,” was home this week to violence and mayhem that “successfully” blocked the free and peaceful exchange of ideas.

As you consider how a free people should respond, here are various voices from the scene of the crime.

First, a former Clinton Era “economist” offers a number of judgments without any facts to back them up. Indeed, he spreads a rumor that conflicts with everything we know about the blackshirt thugs of Antifa and similar far-left “anarchist” groups:

http://youtu.be/K977LL87rd8

And if you want more of this loopiness, with even more outrageous comments shifting blame away from the actual perpetrators of the violence and onto Trump and others, watch the full CNN talking heads panel. If you dare!

Next, a young “By Any Means Necessary” (BAMN) member explains the “peaceful” nature of her movement:

You judge her logic. Her excuse-making. Her more-than-implied threats.

This young woman, and the illustrious Robert Reich, are not alone on the left in defending the violence and the suppression of free speech. Consider the long list of “celebs.”

Finally, mull over the actual words of the man Robert Reich calls a “hateful, odious” “right-wing character” (and whom others call “racist” and “homophobic” and even a gay “Nazi”):

This video has been bleeped to omit vulgarity; click here for the pristine (vulgar tongue) version, if you wish.

There are many greatly varying opinions about Milo Yiannopoulos. This is but one video wherein he very earnestly states his views. We welcome you to use the COMMENTS section to post any videos or links that you think folks should consider in making their own judgments about the man. Likewise, please leave links to additional information about speech-squelching activities by those on the political Left or Right or Center.

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Thought

James Fenimore Cooper

The capital error is becoming prevalent, which holds the pernicious doctrine that this is a government of men, instead of one of principles. Whenever this error shall so far come to a head as to get to be paramount in action, the well-disposed may sit down and mourn over, not only the liberties of their country, but over its justice and its morals, even should men be nominally so free as to do just what they please.

James Fenimore Cooper, The Chainbearer; Or, The Littlepage Manuscripts, 1845.

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Today

First President

On February 4, 1789, George Washington was unanimously elected as the first President of the United States, under the new Constitution, by the U.S. Electoral College.

On the same date five years later, the French legislature abolished slavery throughout all territories of the French Republic.

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Thought

George H. Lewes

History shows how the human mind, which, at the dawn of civilisation, was a lyre of three chords, became in the progress of civilisation a lyre of seven chords. . . .

G. H. Lewes, Problems of Life and Mind (Third Series) Problem the First — The Study of Psychology: Its Object, Scope, and Method (1879), p. 157.

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meme

Peaceful?

violence, peaceful, meme, protest, Milo, Berkeley

The purpose of the demonstration was to shut down a speech.

The speech would not have been shut down without the presence of violent protestors.

The peaceful protestors are claiming a victory that wouldn’t have been possible without the participation of violent protestors.

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crime and punishment First Amendment rights general freedom ideological culture media and media people national politics & policies responsibility

The Silence of Violence

Berkeley, Milo, violence, speech, politics, photos, comment, analysis

“The Free Speech Movement is dead.”

So said the Berkeley College Republicans after violence Wednesday night forced cancelation of a sold-out speech by Milo Yiannopoulos, the Greek-born British author, now a senior editor at Breitbart News. The reference, of course, is to the University of California’s history as a haven for free expression dating back to the 1960s.

Protests of the event gave way to

  • people beaten up on the streets,
  • rocks and bricks and Molotov cocktails hurled at police,
  • a young woman with a “Make America Great Again” parody hat pepper-sprayed in the face,
  • fires set, windows smashed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union, along with
  • an estimated $100,000 of property damage.

Yet only one arrest was made Wednesday night, and two on Thursday, when a man in a suit wearing a Trump hat apparently triggered two guys to jump out of their car and assault him.*

CNN dubbed the “inflammatory” Yiannopoulos a “professional provocateur.” He has also been labeled a racist, which he denies, and a homophobe, even though he’s gay. Pushing the envelope against political correctness, for his part, Milo calls “college campuses . . . cancerous and toxic to free expression.”

Regardless of label, Yiannopoulos’s right to speak and the right of others to listen are constitutionally protected. And violence to block a peacefully expressed point of view is never justified.

Asked about the tactics used, one unnamed young protestor** explained, “Although, you know, it could get violent or whatever, with the fire, that’s what caused Milo to leave. We succeeded.”

The young woman added, “And next is Trump.”

Either we defend civilization against speech-squelching violence, or inherit an ugly silence.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

 

*More arrests may be forthcoming. The Washington Post reported that, “University police rescued many people in the crowd who were being attacked, trapped or injured . . . and are collecting video to try to identify suspects.”

** The woman was part of the ominously-named group By Any Means Necessary.

Printable PDF

 

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Today

Spain and Bagehot

On February 3, 1783, Spain recognized United States independence.

Walter Bagehot (pronounced “badge-it”; pictured), famed editor of The Economist and author of Lombard Street, was born on this date in 1826.

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Thought

Grant Starrett

The American people are paying for employees they can’t even control. Federal bureaucrats enjoy ludicrous protections that far exceed what average Americans can expect in their own jobs and thus isolate the bureaucracy from the will of the American people. To correct this, Congress should pass a law to make all federal employees serve at will — just like Americans in the private sector. If a bureaucrat underperforms, undermines policy, or is no longer needed, he should be dismissed.

Grant Starrett, “Make All Federal Employees Fireable, National Review (February 2, 2017).