Jeh Johnson Withdraws As USC Law Graduation Speaker After Protests
As many of you know, I have long lamented the rising intolerance shown at colleges and universities over free speech. Both faculty and students now regularly fight to prevent people from speaking rather than allow a diverse array of views and experiences on campuses. Fortunately, most law schools have sufficient free speech advocates to counter such moves. However, this week the University of Southern California Law School joined this ignoble list when the school pushed Jeh Johnson, the former Obama Secretary of Homeland Security, to withdraw as the commencement speaker. Johnson was a wonderful choice for the graduation and could share not just his incredible career but his powerful personal story with the law students. Instead, he was told by Dean Andrew Guzman that there were “concerns” about his appearance.
A public letter to Guzman was posted from “the two Chicano members” of the law faculty, Daria Roithmayr and David Cruz. Professors Roithmayr and Cruz objected to the invitation over immigration policies. They declared that simply allowing Johnson to speak a graduation “normalizes illegal state violence” and “legitimates” the “fundamental betrayal of core values.” They further denounced Johnson as displaying a “morally repugnant willingness to use those who are most vulnerable among us as means to an end.”
Rather than state such opposing views, the professors wanted to silence Johnson because he does not share their view of past federal policies and practices. They succeeded and in so doing further “legitimated” the use of protests to stop opposing views and experiences from being shared.
Above the Law posted the letter from Guzman to the law school:
I informed Secretary Johnson that some faculty and students have raised concerns about the immigration policies of the Obama Administration and, therefore, about having him as our commencement speaker. Secretary Johnson shared with me that he believes that graduations should be free of tension and political controversy and for this reason has decided not to speak.
Free speech does not mean tension-free speech. However, by canceling the speech, the heckler’s veto has once again prevailed at an institution of higher education.
https://jonathanturley.org/2019/05/04/jeh-johnson-withdraws-as-usc-law-graduation-speaker-after-protests/
Finally the liberals are getting banned….