By Dominic Yates, UW-Stout reporting intern
Free speech was the controversial topic of discussion this week as Franklin & Marshall College Prof. Alison Kibler made a virtual stop at UW-Stout on to discuss free speech and its historical connection to politics.
The Monday presentation, hosted by the Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation (MCSII), discussed the history of hate speech and Kibler’s 2015 book, “Censoring Racial Ridicule: Irish, Jewish, and African American Struggles Over Race and Representation, 1890-1930.” Kibler is a professor of American Studies and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies.
Kibler and MCSII director Timothy Shiell discussed the history of attempted censorship of hate speech and the its possible consequences. Kibler noted the recent political viewpoint shifts surrounding freedom of speech.
“A hundred years ago, there were a lot of progressives, or what’d I call civil rights censors, people who wanted to censor images to further racial justice,” Kibler said. “Those people were not right-wing conservatives, and I think until recently, we would have attributed censorship more to a right-wing, puritanical view.”
Kibler also discussed how censorship is often a double-edged sword because it can backfire on those who attempt to utilize it.
“I’ve found that the groups like African-Americans, Jewish-Americans, and Irish-Americans were rarely in control of the apparatus that actually enforced any of these (censorship) rules,” Kibler said. “So, asking the government to step in and censor for you to further racial justice was actually a perilous decision to make. It usually didn’t work in your favor.”
Hate speech or political speech?
When asked about the sometimes toxic connection between the freedom of speech and politics, Kibler told a close-to-home story regarding her college and attempted censorship of political advertising.
“On my college campus, there was a big argument about how you could take a Trump sign down because it was ‘hate speech,’” Kibler said. “That argument did not win the day, but the distinction between hate and valuable political speech is troubling today.”
Jerry Kapus, interim chair of UW-Stout’s Department of English and Philosophy and professor of philosophy said that Kibler’s presentation was an important reminder of the importance of free speech.
“History shows that attempts to limit free speech, even when motivated by good intentions, often go awry,” Kapus said. “I agree that it is important to avoid censorship and promote free speech, even when that speech is offensive.”
UW-Stout Spanish professor Kevin Anzzolin said that Kibler’s presentation opened his eyes to the many nuances of the freedom of speech topic.
“Mostly I was simply astounded by the complexity of the issue,” Anzzolin said. “I agree that free speech has recently been a talking point for the right, but it may be advantageous for the left to reanimate their engagement of the issue.”
Dominic Yates is a senior at UW-Stout, majoring in Professional Communication and Emerging Media.