Thumbs down: Free speech under fire at UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley is being played like a violin these days - and a poorly tuned one at that.

The latest example is a decision by the university to cancel a speech by conservative columnist Ann Coulter on the grounds that it cannot ensure her safety. Given the violence that has erupted surrounding recent appearances by conservatives speakers at the Berkeley campus, safety is understandably a concern. But the solution is not to ban uncomfortable speech, as appears to be the default position of the university. The solution is to protect it.

So far that has not been the case. Coulter has reportedly offered suggestions as to how to better deal with any problems that come up. But so far the university has not come up with a compromise plan.

Shame on those who seek to use violence to prevent people from sharing ideas. It’s antithetical to - and out of tune with - the values of higher education, even more so at a campus that was the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement. And shame on those who are allowing violence to sully the university’s reputation as a free-speech zone. One thing’s for sure. The requests for events featuring conservative speakers will only increase with each forum that is denied. As we said, the university is being played.