I have a few problems with the assumptions in one paragraph.
“Take the example of a group silencing another using harassment. Many responses may be appropriate. Returning harassment in turn, for example, is likely to be proportional, although it is rarely effective — harassment usually occurs in a situation where the sides do not have equal power to harm each other in that way. On the other hand, acting to restrict the harassers’ ability to continue in the future — even at the expense of limiting their right to speak — may be both proportional and effective.”
In what universe is the more appropriate course blocking a conservative (not a hate monger, nor a racist) speaker, instead of coming up with better reasoning and ideas? This is how conflict escalates.
“harassment usually occurs in a situation where the sides do not have equal power to harm each other in that way.” Interesting point, yet on any college campus (maybe not the citadel or Bob Jones, but..) it is conservatives who, being outnumbered 18–19 to 1 in the faculty and admin. who have the least power- yet you seem to excuse squelching conservatives and their ideas.
Just curious, given that the hard left is mostly armed with bottles of gasoline, makeshift truncheons, closet hanger rods, and pepper spray- and the hard right is armed with AR 15’s and up- including the military — don’t you think your tacit approval of violence from ‘progressives’ is a bit foolish. A group of dipshits with tec 9's can terrorize a whole block; a few ex Marines with AR 15’s can dispatch the balaclava boys in seconds. Let’s not even discuss what an A-10 can do with a single run.
