Yuval Levin explains why awarding Donna Shalala the Medal of Freedom is such an outrage:
Shalala’s Medal of Freedom is also a slap in the face to those who believe in the First Amendment. While Shalala was chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the university established “a code against ‘hate speech’ that would punish students for uttering ‘racist’ or ‘sexist’ remarks to others. Shalala shrugged off concern about First Amendment rights, calling it a convenient dodge ‘for everyone from visiting rock stars who extol woman bashing to tenured professors who spew ethnic slurs.'” The speech code was later found to be unconstitutional by a federal court. I guess fighting against free speech is now a qualification for receiving the Medal of Freedom.
