The University of Missouri — now famous for petulant protests over “microaggressions” and an assistant professor who threatened a student journalist — appears to be changing its ways.
At least that’s the impression from a mandatory forum for incoming freshmen, where free speech was actually allowed.
“I think it’s really important to keep in mind that a respectful campus climate is not achieved by policing what people think or say,” Elisa Glick, an associate professor of women’s studies and English, said at the event, a recording of which was provided to the College Fix.
Glick explained that she had been disowned by her family after coming out as a lesbian, but ultimately led to her ability to cope with intolerance.
“You can’t control the … circumstances that you find yourself in … but you can control how you respond to that situation,” she said, adding that agreement was “boring.”
She added: “[R]espect isn’t agreement,” she continued. “Disagreement, and even conflict, can be productive as long as it’s done in a respectful way.”
Mark Schierbecker — the student journalist threatened by the former Mizzou assistant professor — was careful to note that free speech advocates “shouldn’t get too excited” about the forum.
While one professor celebrated the movie “Sausage Party” even though it has some of “the most offensive stereotypes you could possibly imagine” and a student stood up to say Islam is a harmful religion without a backlash, not everyone agreed with the principle of free speech.
“Another professor said some ideas are still unacceptable because they aren’t ‘respectful,'” Schierbecker wrote.
Schierbecker also reminded readers just what occurred at the Mizzou protests last fall. “At the time, black students were requesting safe spaces from their white allies, a street preacher was punched in the mouth for criticizing the Ferguson protests, and campus police encouraged students to report their classmates for ‘hurtful speech.'”
This latest development is welcome — and necessary, as Mizzou’s coddling of campus snowflakes last fall led to a significant drop in admissions and a loss of millions of dollars.
Ashe Schow is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
