Free speech for me--but not for thee
how the American left and right relentlessly censor each other
by Nat Hentoff · first published 1992
67% recommend33% neutral
For years now, Nat Hentoff has been the best-known lay guardian of the magnificent spirit and letter of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. His principled advocacy of free expression for all seems to be needed more than ever today, at a time of appalling assaults on expression not only by traditional opponents on the political right - those offended by what they consider obscene or radical or otherwise taboo - but also from the left - radical feminists calling for the suppression of pornography, members of minorities banning language they consider psychologically dama
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…understand why. The reason is due to the secrecy built into all of these platforms where an unknown third party is actioning content without anyone involved in the conversation knowing about it. See also Free speech for me--but not for thee : how the American left and right relentlessly censor each other [3] (Nat Hentoff, 1992) [1] https://twitter.com/noUpside/status/1599532506252214272 [2] https://www.wired.com/story/free-speech-is-not-the-same-as-f...…
on “The Twitter Files Part 2: Twitter's Secret Blacklists” ↗> Yes, yes, but The refrain "I believe in free speech, BUT" is so common that first amendment lawyers regularly joke about it [1] [2]. "Free speech for me— but not for thee" is also the title of an excellent book by Nat Hentoff [3] Personally I like how ACLU founder Roger Baldwin put it to historian Arthur Schlesigner, Jr.: > Arthur: "What possible reason is there for…
on “The distinction between free speech as a legal right and cultural value” ↗I miss Nat Hentoff. Free Speech for Me--But Not for Thee feels prophetic now.
on “Rowan Atkinson on free speech (2023)” ↗Free Speech for Me--But Not for Thee: How the American Left and Right Relentlessly Censor Each Other (1992) [1] is a good read on how we got to a point where our ability to communicate across ideologies appears to be broken in many ways.…
on “Mandated diversity statement drives Jonathan Haidt to quit academic society” ↗…speech and academic stuff. Brewster removes block. Two student groups reinvite Wallace. Wallace declines, though he did speak at other Ivy League schools. Described more fully p104-106 in Hentoff's book "Free speech for me--but not for thee", which you cited. Here's 4 more articles, to round out the reality-based version of that incident: https://yalecollege.yale.edu/get-know-yale-college/office-de... "Free Speech, Personified" NYT [2017]…
on “Mandated diversity statement drives Jonathan Haidt to quit academic society” ↗