Listen as Larry spoke with Professor Keith Fink regarding his fight for free speech at UCLA.
Professor Flink explained the premise behind his strong beliefs:
O’Connor: Based on what I’m reading, it looks like this stems from the fact that you are pushing back against the whole culture of trigger warnings and safe spaces. And you’ve actually, as part of your whole free speech lectures, you’ve tried to instruct the students there at UCLA about their rights on campus. And the fact that they do have much broader free speech rights than most campus cultures would like kids to believe. Am I right in saying that’s sort of what started this?
Professor Fink: You’re correct, yes on all those points. On those topics that you set forth, I do always provide balance. So for example, I don’t cast trigger warnings, nor do I believe my class is a safe space. I will tell my students the proper reason why fools and some teachers adopt trigger warnings and safe spaces. And then I will explain to them my position on why I don’t use them. For example, trigger warnings I believe can infantilize the students. The notion of a safe space, a university is not supposed to be a safe space.It is a market place of ideas. You’re supposed to be challenged, your ideas grow. And the real world, it is not a safe space.
To show support for Professor Kink please visit change.org to sign the petition. An except of the petition can be found below:
We, the undersigned, are deeply repulsed by UCLA’s treatment (or rather, mistreatment) of Keith Fink — one of the most popular and influential professors on campus. In concert and with the backing of other campus administrators, the Department of Communication Studies’ leaders (Chair Kerri Johnson and Vice Chair Greg Bryant) have repeatedly taken actions against Professor Fink that thwart his academic freedom and threaten his continued impact on thousands of UCLA students for years to come. [Read More]
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