Freedom of Speech: A Dying Privilege

During my stint at Oxford, I had the privilege of being immersed in a small-town culture bursting with budding scholars and learned Dons. One of the more impressive aspects of Oxford (as if I could actually narrow it down to one or even a handful of points) was the level of engagement exhibited by its students. I have many fond memories of dining at New College and conversing with other learners about a wide range of issues: politics (both international and local), culture, history, and social ethics just to name a few. We spiritedly debated various forms of governmental structures, welfare issues, worldviews in media, and more. No topic seemed to be off limits or too taboo for discussion. It was a dream come to life.

So I was dismayed to read Tim Stanley’s recent article in The Telegraph, “Oxford students shut down abortion debate. Free speech is under assault on campus.” Part of the beauty of Oxford diminished during my reading. As the author himself states, “I would’ve thought that the one place in Britain where you could agree to disagree amicably would be Oxford University.” Freedom of speech, a hallmark of the Western world, is slowly being crushed under the weight of the Left. It appears as though in trying to safeguard their definition of freedom, they seek to eradicate any and all opposing ideas. This is a daily occurrence at many universities across the country, but Oxford seemed to be a bulwark for freedom of speech, the light on a hill, so to speak – a place of free discussion, amicable disagreements, and probing questions.

Even worse was the argumentation of the individuals who shut down the debate; it is the same mindless garbage found nearly everywhere this dialogue is conducted: 1) if you are a man, don’t bother speaking about women’s body parts and 2) if you are in opposition, free speech is not permitted to you. Furthermore, the mob-like protest group rallied under the banner “What the f**k is ‘Abortion Culture’” and charged Tim Stanley with promoting “really sh*tty anti-choice rhetoric and probs some cissexism.”

Surely this can’t be my beloved Oxford. I suppose if such small-minded and illogical actions can be upheld at this hallowed institution of scholarship, no university can be safe.

Finally, the scheduled debate was not even centered on the ethics of abortion. In fact, its official topic was, “This House believes Britain’s Abortion Culture Hurts Us All.” Yes, the debate was meant to discuss whether abortion has negatively impacted Britain. Not only did the protestors use inane and trite “arguments,” but they also failed to grasp the actual topic at hand. Sadly, Christ Church College caved to the pressure and, by doing so, took another hack at one of the foundational bases of the Anglosphere: freedom of speech.