Monday, November 26, 2007

Waking up to Evan

Well, we were definitely woken by the Today programme this morning just after 7.30am. Vic seems to think that Evan Harris is always on when she listens to Today at mine. But I'm fairly certain that can't be the case.
I was deeply impressed by his forceful and entirely liberal arguments for free speech and even sharing a platform with individuals who hold certain distainful views. I'd much rather someone like Evan was on the same platform providing solid well spoken arguments as to why their views are absolute nonsense and hokum, than let them stand outside and not have anyone challenge their views at all.
Students' Unions across the country generally have no-platform policies. But this either builds in a level of bureacracy that hinders free speech, or allows ruling groups to define what they find unacceptable (eg in the 70s/80s when Tories were barred from speaking in SUs.)
I've recently been at the receiving end of this bureacracy as a debate had to be cancelled at short notice because the Labour and Tory student groups had failed to supply the necessary paperwork in time, whereas the LD student group had managed to fulfil the requirements.

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