An interesting one – and not what you normally pick up in the DT

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/12158352/The-intolerant-student-Left-has-even-turned-on-me-a-lifelong-civil-rights-campaigner.html

some interesting points from

This sorry, sad saga is symptomatic of the decline of free and open debate on some university campuses. There is a witch-hunting, accusatory atmosphere. Allegations are made without evidence to back them – or worse, they are made citing false, trumped-up evidence….Disappointingly, Fran and the entire NUS leadership have turned down media requests to be interviewed and to debate the issues involved. This looks and feels cowardly. When challenged, they run, hide and denounce from the “safe space” of their laptops.

to perhaps the more controversial

The race to be more Left-wing and politically correct than anyone else is resulting in an intimidating, excluding atmosphere on campuses. Universal human rights and enlightenment values – including John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty – are often shamefully rubbished as the ideas of Western imperialist white privilege.

I am all in favour of protesting against real racists and transphobes. But the most effective way to do this is to expose and counter their bigoted ideas, not censor and ban them.

will be fun to watch this one pan out….

It seems to be one person being a dick?

Sitting in a university right now, I don’t recognise any of his rant, if anything today’s students are depressingly apolitical and disengaged. But we’re just one uni, perhaps every other one is a hotbed of Thatchell abuse.

and not what you normally pick up in the DT

personality clash jumped upon and blown up beyond recognition with glee by rightwing commentator as indicative of the innate hypocrisy of ‘leftwing’ politics

it sounds exactly like your average kneejerk, rightwing, homophobic, telegraph readers wet dream and judging by the above average number of vitriolic comments drawn in, its served its clickbait purpose admirably

Why are we calling him Thatchell? That’s gonna hurt… 😀

He seems to have mellowed a bit from his ‘outing the rich and famous’ era, and I can’t disagree with his stance on free speech. He clearly is sufficiently non-radical these days to be an unperson as far as a few university loons are concerned.

…but written by Tatchell?

on the freedom of speech issue, mini-THM finds seminars with Creationist US students in theology module “interesting”….”Dad, its difficult to debate with them (be rude to them), because they really do believe this stuff. It’s actually quite scary!!!”

oops 😳 too late to correct the typo in the title

“Dad, its difficult to debate with them (be rude to them), because they really do believe this stuff. It’s actually quite scary!!!”

same with ISIS and all religeous fundamental types.

Heard Tatchell on LBS, saying how he was being accussed of being a trans basher but cited his campaigning against transphibia decades ago, before it was hip and trendy (he didn’t say that bit).

From what I read it sounded more like handbags a dawn between 2 poorly behaved children.

martinhutch – Member

Why are we calling him Thatchell?

Close enough!

I wasn’t completely convinced by his shouty outy phase in the 90s, but the man’s an absolute national hero(deserves a peerage where his experience and debating skills would be welcome) to many, and the NUS have discharged both barrels directly into their feet with this one.

Certainly, if I had to choose who to listen to, there isn’t much real competition between a chippy NUS drone and a bloke with decades of political advocacy and campaigning, who is willing to put his own safety at risk to highlight injustice.

She can stay away all she likes. The grown-ups are talking.

What I like about Tatchell is that he truly understands what free speech means and is therefore very consistent. His viewpoint does not alter whether he agrees with the speaker or not which is really admirable (and quite rare).

I was interested to read that he had changed his mind about the Christian Bakers in NI and felt they should have had the right not to bake the cake, no doubt this won’t win him many friends among the unthinking either.