Authored by Brittany Slaughter via Campus Reform,
In light of President Donald Trump’s executive order on free speech, Erwin Chermerinsky, dean of Berkeley Law, and Howard Gillman, Chancellor of the University of California, Irvine, penned an op-ed in which they state that the executive order does not help protect free speech on college campuses and that it is even “unconstitutional.”
“[T]he order is so vague and ambiguous, it makes compliance by colleges and universities extremely difficult — and it is almost certainly unconstitutional,” Chermerinsky and Gillmanwrote for the Los Angeles Times.
“There is no crisis concerning free speech on campuses in the United States,” Chermerinsky and Gillman add.
“Every day on virtually every campus, speeches are given without incident, including some by very controversial speakers. Walk across either of our campuses on just about any day of the week, and the cacophony of diverse speakers is readily apparent.”
The pair’s opinion of Trump’s executive order goes a step further than that of the University of California System President Janet Napolitano, who previously called the order “unnecessary,” but not “unconstitutional.” When asked to comment on the difference in language, a spokeswoman for Napolitano’s office referred Campus Reform to the UC president’s previous March 4 and March 21 statements.
“The executive order that President Trump signed today is unnecessary. Like many higher education institutions across the country, the University of California is ground zero for robust exchanges of ideas and differing viewpoints,” Napolitano, a former Obama administration official, wrote in her March 21 statement.
In a statement to Campus Reform, Chemerinsky said, “Berkeley’s policies are open to all ideas and views. The campus has no discriminatory policies. Whether students and faculty are open to all political parties is a different question.” He went on to point out that Trump is the first to issue such an order: “I do not think a presidential executive order is needed in this area. No prior president ever found the need to do this.”
Despite such claims, however, Hayden Williams, an employee of Campus Reform‘s parent organization, the Leadership Institute, was punched in the face in February while helping conservative student groups recruit new members.
Fewer than two weeks after that incident, Napolitano released a March 4 statement responding to Trump’s executive order announcement.
“President Trump’s announcement of a possible executive order mandating that colleges allow free speech on their campuses or lose critical federal research funding is misguided and unnecessary,” the system president said.
“UC already has clear policies and procedures in place that protect anyone’s right to peacefully protest or speak on our campus.”
Williams’ assault by a former employee of the college reminded many of the 2017 riots that broke out at Berkeley over conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos’ scheduled appearance, a “March for Trump” rally, and subsequent altercations.
Despite all this, the university holds that the executive order is not needed.
“We do not need the federal government to mandate what already exists: our longstanding, unequivocal support for freedom of expression. That tradition is alive and thriving on all of our campuses. This executive order will only muddle policies surrounding free speech, while doing nothing to further the aim of the First Amendment,” Napolitano said.
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via zerohedge
Since when has the LEFT worried about violating the Constitution? Only when someone on the right does or says something the left doesn’t agree with, especially when Pres. Trump does or says anything. College campuses are supposed to be places where students learn how to think for themselves, NOT to be indoctrinated, and not to be suppressed by those who don’t agree with the views of conservatives.
The left certainly didn’t care that they violated the “natural born citizen” clause of the Constitution when they allowed Barack Obama to run, then be “elected” to the presidency, not once but twice. The Constitution requires the president to be a “natural born citizen”, not simply a “citizen” as required for senators and representatives. One may be a citizen through birth in the U.S., birth anywhere to at least one citizen parent, or through naturalization, but a natural born citizen is one born on U.S. soil to a citizen father and a citizen mother, owing allegiance to NO other nation, no dual citizenship at birth! Obama’s father was not a citizen. The Republicans took advantage of that in 2016, when they allowed Cruz, Rubio and Jindal to run in the Republican primaries. Cruz was born in Canada and his father was not a citizen. Rubio and Jindal were born on U.S. soil but their parents were not citizens. Nikki Haley and Kamala Harris have the same problem. They are/were not natural born citizens and not eligible. Even Pres. Trump’s children (4 out of the 5) are not eligible because Don, Jr., Ivanka and Eric were born before Ivana became a citizen and Barron was born before Melania became a citizen. Birth on U.S. soil is not enough, one citizen parent is not enough, even two citizen parents is not enough if their child is born out of the U.S.! Shame on both parties! The Constitution is more important than any political party or candidate.
Sandy you are so right only true Americans are born here and raised here.Both of those Universities are hot beds for Liberals and the Teachers if you want to call them that only have one thing on mind brain wash the Students to be liberal
What these elitists teach is how to swoon over and be soothed by PENTHOUSE BOLSHEVIKS; MYRMIDON MARXISTS; and DOLT RIDDEN DUMBOCRAT DRAGOONS.
The Dean will need to go back to Russia!! In the United States, it will be Constitution only!!
The Dean needs to be must be removed from his position immediately! He sets a bad example for our children and the constitution! Away with you now!