Ezra Levant and Freedom of Speech

I had the chance recently to speak to a group of college students about issues raised by the two videos below.

In them, Ezra Levant, the editor of The Western Standard, a conservative Canadian magazine and Web site, is giving his answers to questions put to him by a government inquisitor.

Levant had been called before the tribunal because his magazine dared to reprint the cartoons, originally published in a Danish newspaper, that sparked rioting by some Muslims across Europe in 2005.

The editor here gives an impassioned argument for freedom of speech. But, that's not what was most striking to some of the young people I was with.

More than a couple of them had real sympathy for the inquisitor. They seemed to be unable to get beyond the fact that Levant seems to be "mean" to her. It was hard for them to see any larger issues at play.

They didn't evince much understanding of the fundamental liberties Western democracies have long recognized.  For some of them, Levant's failure to be "nice" was a bigger threat than the encroachment on his rights he is resisting.

Comments

[Patrick]

I've heard from a number of sources recently that this generation of young people are very coddled. Nothing is worse than getting your feelings hurt and things just shouldn't be tough ever. In fact, the Atlantic Monthly had an article about how the military has had to completely change boot camp and drill sargeant behhavior because these "kids have never been told 'no' in their lives." Either the US military completely softened military training or lost a whole generation.

I ask every professor I know what kids are like now compared to us Gen-Xers. They all say, "Oh, they are extremely smart...and very immature."

These tail-end baby boomers that have raised these kids simply do not know how to be authority figures in a positive way. Whether it's guilt from having to work or a hold-over discomfort about authority (from the 60's), today's parents are producing a very soft generation.

They have their upsides too..their intelligence, and willingness to get involved in things, but your comments point to the other stuff.

I guess we have to remember that in our early 20's, Gen-X was labeled as lazy and cynical. In the end, we have been a hard-working and even revolutionary generation, particularly in technology so..maybe there's hope.

The boomers totally suck though. Bill and Hillary are totally evil.