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A Firing Line Debate: Resolved: That Freedom of Thought Is in Danger on American Campuses
Collection StructureFiring Line broadcast records > Episode guide > A Firing Line Debate: Resolved: That Freedom of Thought Is in Danger on American Campuses
Item Title A Firing Line Debate: Resolved: That Freedom of Thought Is in Danger on American Campuses
Guest Silber, John (1926-)
Guest Buckley, William F., Jr. (1925-2008)
Guest Botstein, Leon
Guest D'Souza, Dinesh (1961-)
Guest Loury, Glenn C.
Guest Fish, Stanley Eugene
Guest Stimpson, Catharine R. (1936-)
Guest Walters, Ronald W.
Host Buckley, William F., Jr. (1925-2008)
Moderator Kinsley, Michael E.
Date CreatedAugust 28, 1991
Description

A (mostly) new cast of characters for this debate on, essentially, Political Correctness. Mr. Buckley sets the tone: "Ogden Nash once wrote that if the German people had had a more highly developed sense of humor, they'd never have let Hitler pull the wool over their eyes. The first time they saw someone goose-stepping and raising a stiff arm and shouting, 'Heil Hitler,' they'd have keeled over laughing, as most students will do when they think back on some of the affectations of the current age." Lots of fun as the Affirmatives recount ridiculous instances of the PC code and the Negatives recall racial and sexual vulgarisms in times past; but also some solid analysis from an academic perspective: GL: "I'm certainly not one standing here to say, 'I want to be free to make racist remarks in my classes.' What I think is the case, though, is that the cult of sensitivity has evolved in such a way that particular substantive issues of critical importance to be discussed cannot be discussed because particular insular minorities are exercising power, real power, to curtail the discussions that their feelings not be hurt."

Language(s)
Country of Origin
Place RecordedColumbia, South Carolina, United States
DimensionsDuration: 2 hrs.
FormatMoving Image
Medium television programs
Aspect Ratio
4:3
Color
color
Soundtrack
sound
Hoover IDProgram FLS111
Record Number80040.1158
NotesVideo not currently available for purchase.
RightsCopyright held by Stanford University. This copy is provided for educational and research purposes only. No publication, further reproduction, or reuse of copies, beyond fair use, may be made without the express written permission of the Hoover Institution Library & Archives on behalf of Stanford University.
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