Charlie Kirk became well known and helped build his organization Turning Point USA by coming on to college campuses to present views that some students and, often, the people running the colleges did not want aired. In doing so, he helped advance the exercise of free speech at colleges. It was at one of his campus events at which he was discussing and debating issues that Kirk was murdered last week.
If Texas Governor Greg Abbott wanted to honor Kirk, an appropriate action may be to find ways to expand respect for free speech at the Texas state government’s institutions of higher education. However, Abbott has chosen to do the opposite — use Kirk’s murder as a reason to crack down further on free speech at Texas colleges.
On Tuesday, Abbott, via his Twitter page, expressed his demand that one of those Texas colleges expel a student because that student reenacting Kirk being shot. Declared Abbott:
Hey Texas State.
This conduct is not accepted at our schools.
Expel this student immediately.
Mocking assassination must have consequences.
That is a demand from the governor to the people running one of the state’s universities. Abbott is not just expressing his opinion; he is ordering a government action be taken. Not only that, Abbott is calling for the expulsion to take place “immediately.” That means the student who would be expelled would have that serious penalty imposed without a chance to take any responsive action such as explaining his actions, providing greater context, apologizing, or presenting a defense based in law, the university’s policies, ethical principles, or other grounds. “None of that fairness mumbo jumbo,” demands the dictator, “just do now what I say — for Charlie.”
Six hours after Abbott made his demand, Texas State University confirmed the student he demanded be expelled is no longer a student at the university. Ayden Runnels reported at the Texas Tribune:
Six hours after Abbott’s request, Texas State University announced the person in the video had been identified and ‘was no longer a student’ at the university, according to a statement from Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse. It was not immediately clear whether the student was expelled or voluntarily withdrew. In Damphousse’s statement, he called the video “disturbing” and condemned the student’s behavior.
‘I will not tolerate behavior that mocks, trivializes, or promotes violence on our campuses,’ Damphousse said.
It looks like the culture of the people running Texas State University is more that of an ardent censor than that of an educational institution respecting free speech and the exchange of ideas. This speech restrictive culture Kirk opposed. Yet, Abbott is using Kirk’s name and death to advance such in Texas.
This new attack on free speech at Texas colleges builds on one Abbott rolled out in April of last year. Then, Abbott began a major crackdown on campuses that he announced in another post as his Twitter page by stating in part that “Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled.” Abbott here was deceptively employing language. He used a peculiar definition of “antisemitism” that includes in its ambit expressions of opposition to actions of the Israel government. He also categorized as ““hate-filled” protesters’ calls for ending the killing and destruction the Israel government has wrought in Gaza and beyond, done with indispensable assistance from the United States government.
Every indication is that Kirk, to whom Abbott is pointing to for support for the newest free speech crackdown at Texas colleges, was becoming in the weeks preceding his death increasingly critical of the Israel government’s military actions. Had Kirk not been killed and begun planning to hold one of his events at a Texas college, might Abbott of worked to prevent the event, categorizing it as “hateful” and “antisemitic”?
Abbott is an enemy of free speech at Texas colleges. That he presents his justifications for suppression through deceptive comments about opposing antisemitism and honoring Kirk provides some reason for optimism. Without the subterfuge, Abbott’s actions may be met with much more widespread and robust opposition. Hopefully, more and more people will see through the deception and start opposing the tyrannical restrictions on free speech.
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