Re my May 9 Special Issue on “Antisemitism vs. Free Speech and Peaceful Assembly”
“Everything you said is right. Students and professors and non-students should not be able to shut down a public university by threats and intimidation. How do we protect the rights of the non-protestors? And what right does a university president have to negotiate with people calling for murder?” – BS
“I understand your point. Free speech doesn’t have to be the issue. Most of what’s going on can be responded to by the simple issue of property rights. You can say what you want, but you don’t have the right to take control of my property or inhibit my use of my property. When college campuses are the owners of the property, students are basically given an easement to use the campus property, but the easement has limits. Not blocking others’ ability to use the property is one of the limitations. Violating that limitation makes the user a trespasser. Colleges can feel free to remove trespassers, just as any property owner could. That being said, I think we should begin a national discussion on hate speech laws. The last I looked there were 29 countries that have enacted them, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, South Africa, Sweden, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
“These countries seem to operate just fine, despite some limitations on what their populations can say and do, to the benefit of all the members of these societies who are or would be the victims of hate speech. Have we in the US gone overboard in trying to protect the rights of our citizens to say nasty things? To what and whose benefit? And to whose detriment? What would the real risks vs. rewards be in adopting some hate speech laws in the US? Remember the Declaration of Independence and the right to the ‘pursuit of happiness.’ Would we have a better country if we put more emphasis on that pursuit and less on the right to speak hateful words?” – CA
“The problem with hate speech laws is in the interpretation of what constitutes ‘hate speech.’ In Germany in particular, dissenting opinions are being construed as hate speech and are being silenced. So much for Freedom of Speech! We have seen similar interpretations here in the USA.” – NW
From TM re my essay on Biden’s re-election strategy in the May 17 issue:
“Why on earth are you suggesting how the Democrats could secure the White House in 2024? Is it because you think in pointing out this lunacy you feel it shows up the idiots they are?
“The only reason Trump lost in 2020 was because the SCOTUS put abortion on the ballot. Oh, and some minor election cheating, of course.
“Gavin Newsom is a fascist boob as proven by the total mess in California. How can you suggest that the man who helped destroy our largest state has any business in the White House. Sure, the sheep can be fooled into voting for him, but electability is not the main criteria of the job! Not only is he not qualified for the job, he is the most radical of leftists more interested in appearances and feelings than in fiscal policy and responsibility to protect our freedoms.
“You would really trust this [guy] to run any of your businesses? Elected by the same sheep that gave us Maxine, Kamala, Nadler, Boxer, Schiff, Pelosi, Feinstein, and perhaps 10 to 20 other clowns?
“I rest my case. The financial, political, and ethical values of the above and their cronies and backers will destroy this nation and possibly the world.”
From G re Big Pharma’s control of the market:
“Is there any doubt that Big Pharma controls many of the decisions made in this country? Total immunity from legal actions associated with faulty vaccines isn’t enough. The FDA approved a generic in 2019 for the drug Eliquis. An Eliquis three-month supply is over $1,800 and is one of the most common drugs prescribed to tens of millions of patients in the US. However, you can buy the generic in Canada for a mere fraction of the cost! And here you thought our government was looking out for you. Just pay your taxes, shut up and sit down.
“When will generic Eliquis be available in the US? According to the manufacturers, generics will not be able to hit the market any earlier than April 1, 2028. Watch it get extended. They won’t allow this cash cow to get away.
“In a normally functioning society this would not be tolerated. But then, this is not where we are today.
“End of rant.”
