Freedom of speech: Guiding principle of democracy shut down on Berkeley campus

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter was a no-show this week for a speech she had planned to give at the University of California-Berkeley after opponents demonstrated against her appearance.

It is a shame that one of the supposed bastions of free speech in this country silenced her. That is not what the campus at Berkeley has stood for. In the 1960s and '70s the university was known for its support of free speech. The liberals who fought for free speech back then have turned into its opponents.

This country was founded on the rights of free speech. It is a cornerstone of our existence. To see it restricted by those who profess to uphold its sacredness is hypocrisy in the extreme.

Coulter deserves as much of a chance to express her opinions as any liberal-minded thinker.

We in this country have got to come to some understanding of what free speech is. It is the right to let others who don't share our opinions have their say in the public arena. Without freedom of speech, one of the pillars of democracy begins to crumble.

Published in Editorials on April 28, 2017 10:04 AM