On November 6, Michael Knowles, a Daily Wire show host and conservative commentator lectured on “The Mirage of Free Speech” before a crowd of 260. The College Republicans had invited Knowles with his talk funded by the America’s Freedom Foundation and the Logan Family Lecture Series.
Knowles was introduced by Rodge Reschini, President of the Cornell Republicans, who emphasized the importance of being open to other viewpoints.
Knowles began with the claim that the current campus climate traces back to the 1969 takeover of Willard Straight Hall by the Afro-American Society (the predecessor of the Black Student Union.) Knowles noted that one of the reasons offered for the building takeover was that someone burned a cross in front of the Wari Coop. According to Knowles, at least one leader of that group has since admitted that black students, rather than white supremacists, had burned that cross in an act that greatly escalated racial tensions on campus. Knowles claimed, “it was Jesse Smollett, the prequel. It was all just a big hoax.”
Cornell’s official position is that the person who burned the cross is unknown. Some alumni have disputed Knowles’ claim.
One of the major results of the Straight Takeover was the establishment of the Africana Students and Research Center (ASRC), which Knowles described as a “pseudo-academic discipline which replaces liberal education aimed at discovering truth … with training in political activism which undermines the student’s education by encouraging a radical skepticism that denies the very possibility of discerning truth.”
Knowles feels the same way about all the critical studies departments and claimed the only difference between American Studies and the other such departments is that American Studies hates the subject of its work, America, while Women’s Studies likes women, and Queer Studies likes queers.
Knowles attributed to former Cornell economist Thomas Sowell the idea that if Cornell had not lowered its academic standards for black students and black faculty, the Willard Straight Takeover would have never happened.
The result of this trend, which applies to a number of disadvantaged groups, is decades of highly credentialed but poorly educated graduates.
Regarding the debate about free speech on campus, Knowles noted that the real debate is not between free speech and censorship but rather between competing sets of standards.
Plenty of other politically unfavored groups, besides Jews, face threats on campus, but the universities do not hold the makers of such threats accountable. With respect to national leaders, Hillary Clinton, Maxine Waters, and Vice President Kamila Harris all advocated incivility against conservatives and other opposition groups.
Knowles claimed that the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and Hamas share a number of tactics and ideological viewpoints.
Restraint in the Current Crisis
Conservatives generally preach restraint on most issues, says Knowles. The neoconservatives of the Bush era were an exception to that general rule because they advocated military interventions in the Mideast.
In contrast, Donald Trump campaigned on restraint and focus on the home front. Knowles expressed his opinion that Trump conducted the finest foreign policy of any President in at least a quarter-century. Trump’s lack of foreign policy bona fides helped him because he settled for modest gains.
Questions and Answers
Knowles accepted questions from the audience and invited people who disagreed with him to cut to the front of the line. A libertarian asked about how to protect speech during the current Hamas-Gaza crisis. Knowles believes we have both individual and community rights. Acceptable speech should be judged by local standards.
A liberal asked about the Child Tax Credit. Knowles believes that the nation needs a more robust pro-family policy. Knowles cites Hungary as a country with a successful family policy.
Another question was who has the right to censor speech. Knowles says elected representatives can decide it based on culture and religious views.
A liberal raised in Texas asked about majority support for gay marriage or transgender health care. Knowles believes that religious views cannot be overridden by “mob rule.” The founders believed that morality could not be based upon a majority vote. The Supreme Court imposed same-sex marriage over the prevailing public views, but within 5 years, public opinion turned around.
A liberal from Pittsburgh asked about Trump’s foreign policy. Trump’s policy strained alliances. Knowles supports strategic alliances. Knowles disagrees with the “free trade” approach. Most Republican presidents favored tariffs. Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy kept the nation’s enemies at bay.
An independent from DC asked about Joe Biden as a leader. He asked about the U.S. compared with China. Knowles did not defend Chairman Xi but notes that he is moving against abortions.
Knowles was allowed to speak without protest or interruptions within the auditorium. Some students did protest outside, based upon Knowles prior statements.
Following the event, Reschini said, “It all went perfectly. I couldn’t have asked for a more successful event.”
The video of the talk was posted.
