POLITICAL TOLERANCE OF THE 1960S SHOULD APPLY TODAY

POLITICAL TOLERANCE OF THE 1960S SHOULD APPLY TODAY

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

In the past universities were physically safe for teenagers to have a four-year hiatus to transition into adulthood. Many students enjoyed the free campus life so much that many became professional students. This was not surprising since the normal rules for civil behavior were relaxed. Streaking, easy access to drugs, alcohol and sex were protected practices on university property. Campuses were havens for self-indulgence approaching a hedonistic lifestyle.

These reality free zones offer not only the suspension of normal rules and laws of behavior but an experience to exchange and share ideas without consequences. There was tolerance by traditional Americans for not only unconventional behavior but for different thoughts and opinions. It was where tolerance of different ideas was held in the highest esteem. This has changed drastically.

In the 1960s anti establishment revolution students were granted immense power on university campuses. They were allowed to take over administrative offices, to freely express their Marxist ideas through the media. They had strikes and protests on and off campus to receive publicity and spread their radical progressive ideas among the American people. These anti establishment students became mass media celebrities. Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin were introduced into our living rooms through television. They were socialists who used anarchist tactics. The burning of the American flag, hatred of the military and degrading speech towards anything related to traditional America was their targeted message.

Today the “establishment” is what was then called “anti establishment.” The counter Cultural Revolution was eventually victorious putting the university and the media front and center protecting their sacred progressive ideals. The progressive establishment now will not tolerate the “free speech” of non-Marxists and traditional ideas. The power has shifted and so has the intolerance for free speech.

The 1960 clowns pushed the limits of decent behavior and speech. They are more than hypocrites; they are intolerant repressors of liberty. Conservative speaking engagements are cancelled by minority protests. The presenters who are able to begin their lectures are assaulted by pies and other objects to prevent their ideas from being uttered. Traditional speakers have to hire their own security guards before attempting to give their speeches. Too many dedicated educators refuse to appear at universities due to the physical danger. The freedom of speech on college campuses has been stifled by a united front of tenured Marxist professors and their mass media minions.   

The constant pounding of the message that adopting Marxist ideology would solve all America’s ills has been successful. The vast majority of university students have been absolutely convinced and empowered to be “soldiers of intolerance” advocating for Marxist ideas while preventing any “subversive” traditional ones from being introduced on campus.

According to these brainwashed students there is no more need to have free discussions since the establishment Marxist ideas are absolutely unassailable. Discussion would reopen a consensus that has already been settled. The truth of Marxism is not open for debate. It is the reason why any traditional heretic should be shouted down and removed from any open forum.  

These “soldiers of intolerance” have been armed with political correctness to limit critical thinking. Hate speech is another tool that restricts any non-progressive thinking from entering the arena of ideas. The newest and most frightening weapon is allowing the subjective feelings of these university “student soldiers” to convict a traditional student of politically incorrect speech and thinking. These traditional provocateurs should not be tolerated but vanquished and banned from college campuses. According to this new group think strategy only the believers in Marxism should be permitted to attend college. All students with contrary beliefs should be expelled for their emotionally disturbing beliefs. This guilty before proven innocent is enough for the expulsion of the accused student.

Universities protect their crybaby “student soldiers” by establishing safe spaces for Marxists to regroup when knowledgeable and persuasive non-indoctrinated students challenge them. Using this university strategy the administrators can enlarge the safe spaces to intimidate and reduce the areas allowed for opposing ideas and ultimately offer freedom of speech. The repressive rules of engagement for open debate are crushing students searching for the truth.

The university centers of indoctrination have to be eliminated and replaced with an open forum to encourage the search for knowledge and truth. Any student who assaults or intimidates another for expressing his or her ideas should receive sufficient consequences to stop this behavior or be expelled.  There should be no excuses for impeding free speech by any student regardless of ideological orientation.

Political tolerance of ideas is essential in our Constitutional Republic. Every citizen, Marxist or not should demand it.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.