Princeton professor of 'free speech' class uses N-word. Class cancelled for semester

The Weekly Standard ^ | Feb 12 2018 | Adam Rubenstein

[Personal Responsibility]

"The course’s objectives, as Carolyn Rouse, chair of Princeton’s Department of Anthropology explained in defense of Rosen, was to have students, “be able to argue why hate speech should or should not be protected using an argument other than ‘because it made me feel bad.’” "

"Doctor, it seems this course is dead" "Yes Nurse, cause of death: Irony"

[Angels27]

Its always fun when Libealism blows up in a liberals face

[SkyDancer]

Good thing he wasn’t reading Mark Twain’s “Life On The Mississippi” - he would have been torched.

[Enchante]

“because it made me feel bad” is all the current cupcakes need to freak out..... although I admit that I would never try this prof’s little “experiment” in class with speaking the “N-word”..... I think the outcome was predictable. Some people just could not handle discussion of the term, even though it peppers rap and hip hop songs all the time. They don’t demand that the rappers all be banned, but they demand that a professor be banned for trying to have an academic discussion.

Still, one would hope that people could make the distinction between “using” an offensive term against specific person(s) versus trying to have an academic discussion of what the word is, how it is significant, etc. Obviously, Ivy League cupcakes at Princeton cannot have such a discussion.

[FrankR]

There’s always “Blazing Saddles”....

[ichabod1]

I think you mean ‘libelism’. ;-)

[BipolarBob]

But I thought Bart was hung in that movie.

[fidelis]

Or the original, non-PC version of “Huckleberry Finn” (if you can find one).

[Smedley]

‘Good thing he wasn’t reading Mark Twain’s “Life On The Mississippi” - he would have been torched.’

The prof should have started with singing Kanye West’s beloved rap song “Gold Digger.”

[WayneS]

The cupcakes have taken over the bakery...

[ichabod1]

Oh, I was just watching something where they were making a contemporary movie of Life on the Mississippi, and they got around the problem by just calling him N-Word Jim.

[WayneS]

The course’s objectives, as Carolyn Rouse, chair of Princeton’s Department of Anthropology explained in defense of Rosen, was to have students, “be able to argue why hate speech should or should not be protected using an argument other than ‘because it made me feel bad.’”

No plan survives first contact with the enemy...

[FrankR]

But I thought Bart was hung in that movie.”

“It’s twue, it’s twue....”.

[rlmorel]

Seems to me, given the objectives, this would have been a worthy class.

Honestly, I am not dwelling on the irony, which is rich, but...I think it would have been interesting and useful.

“Hi Class. Today we are going to discuss Freedom of Speech. Who can think of a word that cannot be said in public? Anyone? Anyone? Come on. Nobody can think of a word you can’t say in public? How about ****? How about ******? Why can’t I say those words, other than ‘It makes someone feel bad’?”

Student heads explode. One student jumps up and runs out of the class to tell the Dean.

I am serious. I think this would have been great. And useful.

[lee martell]

This class was needed by the students, and still is.
Most schools talk a good game about tolerance and open mindedness, until you actually take them up on it.

[rlmorel]

Now, your post made me laugh!

[Calvin Locke]

"Yes Nurse, cause of death: Irony"

IMHO, the cause was the Admissions Office letting in less-than-prepared and/or qualified students unwilling to face reality.

[bk1000]

I think many blacks derive a sense of power or superiority (dare I say priviledge?) from being able to do with impunity something whites are absolutely forbidden to do (N word). All the black complaining over the years and doing so little to improve their lot has broken my give-a-damn.

[353FMG]

Free Speech is not free in America.

[IC Ken]

I hope they offered these students consoling.