Mizzou Fired the Professor Who Asked for 'Muscle.' So What's the Lesson for Campus Protesters?
Free speech is a primary value.
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This Thursday, the University of Missouri announced the firing of mass media professor Melissa Click, who gained online notoriety after a YouTube video depicted her hollering for some "muscle" to help her remove a camera man from a public space on campus amidst heated protests.
The video, which has racked up more than 2 million views on YouTube, also shows students blocking and arguing with University of Missouri student and ESPN photojournalist Tim Tai. Tai stands his ground and offers a spirited defense of the First Amendment, pointing out to the students that it is what protects their right to speak and protest as well.
This all happened a mere three days after another video depicted Yale students dressing down a professor whose wife questioned in an email whether or not it was appropriate for administrators to regulate or comment upon the Halloween costume choices of college students who are, after all, adults.
Several months have passed since those incidents occurred, but campus protests have not dissipated and may have even intensified. Just this week, Rutgers students smeared fake blood on themselves before chanting and staging a walk-out of a speech being given by conservative writer and provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos. Counter-protesters began a chant of "Trump! Trump! Trump!," which Reason's Robby Soave argues is less an endorsement of Donald Trump's policies and more likely a trollish reaction to the "cult of political correctness" that's established a safe space for itself on American college campuses.
Watch the video above to hear Soave explain what lessons students should be taking away from these campus clashes.
Approximately 1.40 minutes.
Produced by Joshua Swain. Written by Robby Soave.
Music by Podington Bear.