Word: speech
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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HARVARD OFFICIALS have displayed this readiness to cancel events in the face of minor incidents several times, most notably during the Kent-Brown incident last year, when several Harvard students attempted a blockade during the South African diplomat's speech. Harvard Police rushed Kent-Brown out of the room as the blockade formed, and Dean Epps ended the speech without an attempt to negotiate with the protestors--even though the students presented no physical threat to the speaker and had left the front entrance to the auditorium clear...
...Harvard administration seems to want either speech without disruption or no speech at all. But paradoxically, this ivory tower attitude has become a major obstacle to freedom of speech on campus. Not only are speakers prevented from finishing, but protestors are often prevented from excercising their right to protest. Worse still, the administration blames these speech endings on student protestors rather than accepting the responsibility itself...
OBVIOUSLY, the University must not tolerate violent protests such as Laub's attack. However, there is no need to cancel a speech every time a minor disruption occurs...
...Calero speech, the audience was even ideologically screened. What could security have feared after Laub had been subdued? Certainly an audience of 350 conservatives and press people was not going to riot. Even the remote possibility that another 20 Laubs were out there should not have daunted the Harvard Police. The only hindrance to the continuation of Calero's speech was Harvard's sqeamishness in the face of physical protest...
...University invites highly controversial speakers who provoke physical reactions--both violent and non-violent--in some people. If Harvard seriously wants to protect the "rights" of such speakers on campus, it should do so by responding to violence with force and to non-violent protest with negotiation. A speech should not be cancelled until the Harvard Police--or the speaker himself--begin to fear for the safety of the speaker...