Richard Spencer, creator of the term "alt-right," to speak to A&M

[RobEnCognito]

I wish one of two things happened.

First, I'd love for the students to do something. I'd love to see them have some alternative event somewhere else and have as many students as possible to come to that, meanwhile put out the word to make rudder and MSC a ghost town. That way when the media shows up, and they will, it looks like we have a huge group out against him in a positive way and his event gets seen as unwanted and unattended. Only problem is if people actually show up, then any number of people will look odd, and any bad optics are obvious.

Other option would just be a regular protest/yell practice or some other event right by the MSC and Rudder. Bigger the crowd the better.

In any event, I challenge the current students to make sure that it I obvious to the world that this kind of hate and idiotic message has no haven at A&M. Maybe I'm wrong but given the past, I'm kind of looking forward to what the student body does.

 

[El Chingon]

I think we should get in touch with Angela Davis again and have her walk out on stage shortly after he begins his talk. He'd freak the fk out!

 

[Battalion Ex]

The guy just said on national radio that he wants an empire that only accepts people of European ethnicity. He uses Nazi lingo in his public speeches.

That he uses Nazi terminology is bad enough. That he uses it in the original German while addressing his audiences of monoglot cretins really drives home the point that he revels in being a latter-day Nazi.

He has publicly speculated on whether Jews are even human beings. This is ironic. He is of Turkish-Greek descent and, according to the racial theory of the real Nazis, is himself a members of the inferior Mediterranean sub-race, which utterly disqualifies this olive-skinned, kinky-haired, brown-eyed untermensch from even addressing a member of the Aryan Master Race of northern Europe except to say -- in a properly servile tone of voice -- "May I take your order, sir?" If he wants to continue this charade, he needs to invest in bleaching his skin, dying his hair, and buying some blue contact lenses.

Nonetheless, he should be allowed to speak in the MSC if some group invited him or at Rudder Fountain if he's uninvited. If Aggies can't see through Spencer's transparent bullshit, the world is doomed.

 

[A2M Ag]

Don't some universities have speech codes that limit language that would intimidate/harass segments of their student population on the basis of race/sex/religion? Backed by the supreme Court's "fighting words" ruling ? Don't know the specific case. I also don't know if those university rules, if challenged legally, would hold up but I know they exist.

Yes, when challenged, they're routinely struck down. The "fighting words" exception is very, very narrow and has been limited over multiple cases.

 

[A2M Ag]

I'm curious about first vs second amendment legally now - how were public universities allowed to infringe upon right to bear arms but are held to the same standard as congress as far as prohibiting free speech

Neither the First or Second Amendments are absolute. Texas universities had to comply with federal and Texas law on campus carry, which were seen as constitutionally acceptable. A&M didn't restrict any 2nd Amendment rights.

I'm not sure what you mean by "the same standard as Congress."

 

[A2M Ag]

Good content from UT free speech policies (it's much longer than just this section):

Sec. 13–204. Harassment...

I wouldn't say that's good, in the least. It's unconstitutional and a joke. So they're legitimately trying to bam "ridicule" or "insults" under the guise of harrassment?

I do find the language amusing where they openly acknowledge that their policy would have issues passing constitutional muster.

 

[AggieTom2000]

So if any group approaches A&M and asks A&M for use of it's facilities, A&M is obligated by "free speech" to allow use of our facilities?

If he's going outside the MSC and shouting at students, thats different - I don't think there is a need to ban the public from campus grounds. But as I understood it he is being given use of facilities.

They used to have some dude who would say crazy crap in the late 90s. He just walk around Sully all day spouting nonsense. We didn't invite him into Rudder, though. Big difference.

 

[A2M Ag]

I think it is established that not all areas of a public university are open to the public - it is at the discretion of the university what facilities they make accessible. However, A&M has decided to make some rooms in the MSC and Rudder complex reservable by the public, once they made that decision (probably driven by money), they became public forums. A&M also has designated outside areas as "free speech areas", but I am not sure why because any space they have made available to the public is a free speech area. Although the UCEN guidelines I posted indicate only outdoor spaces are reservable for free speech, in reality they have public rooms for reservation - the guidelines are not entirely accurate in describing free speech reservable areas.


A private banquet hall could definitely kick this group out if the private owner heard and disliked their speech, but they could not kick them out based on race, sec, religion, or country of origin.

"Free speech areas," if used to limit expression to only those areas will be considered bunk by courts. It's been upheld that certain time, place and distance restrictions are allowable for protesters and the like (lots of abortion clinic cases). There's a bit of a balancing act between safety, 1at amendment rights, and the ability to conduct business. Disallowing expression on a 4,000 acre campus other than Rudder Fountain is patently unconstitutional.

A&M doesn't get to unilaterally say when, where and who can speak on campus. They must abide by the Constitution. Any rules and regs they put in place have to be within that framework to be valid.

 

[catorano]

If I'm not mistaken, 99% of Aggies find this guy abhorrent. Either let him play in front of an empty hallway or filled with people who will protest his message. He's an awful person. So what? I don't have a strong opinion on it except that most people are decent and won't be swayed by his ignorant rhetoric.

 

[hogtide]

If I'm not mistaken, 99% of Aggies find this guy abhorrent. Either let him play in front of an empty hallway or filled with people who will protest his message. He's an awful person. So what? I don't have a strong opinion on it except that most people are decent and won't be swayed by his ignorant rhetoric.

 

[CheekySchneider]

Agree people should boycott and protest but it's not a bad look. It's a good thing to express all ideas in a free marketplace. There's a lot of hateful rhetoric from the far left that is welcome and even celebrated on American universities.
I also think this group is a logical reaction to the militant PC culture that has dominated our universities.

Logical? Stupid to justify it.

 

[SonnyParker1]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/...remacist-Richard-Spencer-s-15-minutes-of-fame

Gig 'em Roland. I see your ring.

 

[rustyo]

Logical? Stupid to justify it.

the word logic does not justify it. it simply means it's not a surprising reaction to the PC culture that's been rammed through our society where everything is whitey's fault. most white people protested at the ballot box. fringe groups spin off of every movement.
it was also logical for progressive fringe groups like anarchists, Marxists and BLM came out of the woodwork during the Obama regime.

 

[oldmanp03]

They used to have some dude who would say crazy crap in the late 90s. He just walk around Sully all day spouting nonsense. We didn't invite him into Rudder, though. Big difference.

A&M didn't invite him in to Rudder. They rented a room and A&M doesn't really have anyway to block it. Just like if the crazy guy in the 90s wanted to rent a room, they would have to let him.

A&M is in a bad spot, especially in 2016 when people just read the headlines and go with it. Most will assume A&M was cool with it because they won't dig any deeper and actually do some critical thinking.

 

[Rick77]

I've come to expect some crazy shitbird stuff from this board, but I'm really in shock that you guys are defending having this guy on campus. I think some of you are really terrible.

So do you think they're terrible for defending his right to be on campus, if he has arranged it through the proper channels? The university statement indicates that they are required to provide him a space, as part of their function as a public university.
Or do you think they're terrible for defending his right to speak?
What, in your opinion, is the Proper HA-Approved Thing to Do In This Case? And how did you come to that opinion?
I think your answer may be really interesting and enlightening.

 

[SonnyParker1]

The University is not defending anything for this jackass, you idiot. This fool and his little buddy Preston found a loophole that allows him to get a room at Rudder and A&M is rightfully distancing as much as they can. I'd rather the university tell him to pound sand and let a judge make them allow him on campus. Or at least allow Roland Martin in the same room to again embarrass him.

 

[travster23]

Bump

 

[Longneck 80]

This is what you get when our political heroes live on identity politics.

Speaking personally, while I may abhor what is said, the freedom to say it is the critical issue here. That goes whether we are talking about Spencer, BLM, KKK, Rev. Wright, Louis Farrakhan, or Khalid Abdul Muhammad. "Nice" speech needs no first amendment protection, only "offensive" speech does.

The jokers shouting down the person at the podium and not allowing that person to speak is far more dangerous to our republic than the one speaking.

 

[BHR20]

Well.... Richard Spencer voted for Biden.

 

[CheekySchneider]

People can change for the better! There’s hope for many of you, after all.

 

[schmak01]

This dude?

 

[Runforit]

Giving this guy a platform at A&M - I don't get it.

The defense of letting him speak is that we (reasonable Aggies) could provide a counter protest. Why just not let him speak and that be the end of it.

 

[Runforit]

Hope he stays, but if not - next man up.