Ioften hear from progressives that “free speech” is merely an excuse for conservatives to justify bigoted and hateful expression. In the wake of their responses to the Israel–Hamas War, however, that idea is no longer defensible.
As an editor of a student magazine promoting free speech at Columbia University, I’m no stranger to these arguments. On a campus where liberals outnumber conservatives almost six to one, promoting freedom of expression necessarily requires elevating unpopular, right-leaning voices. The Left frequently responds by asserting that “free speech” is just a veil for racism, sexism, or some other ism of the day because otherwise, backward conservative ideas would have no place in our campus discourse.
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