UC Irvine Chancellor Defends Students Against Charges of Being ‘Snowflakes’

UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman is defending freshman in free speech studies against the charge of being “snowflakes.”

Gillman suggests progress cannot be made until the concerns of the freshman are taken seriously.

The Los Angeles Times quotes Gillman talking about the concerns of such freshman, saying, “Their legitimate concerns have to be acknowledged, and then we see if we can come to some deeper understanding of how you cope both with issues of inclusion and diversity and with issues of the free expression of ideas.”

He added, “The arguments for how hate speech is traumatizing to people are absolutely legitimate.”

At the same time, Gillman said he opposes the creation of “free speech zones” on campus, as such zones limit free speech to a 20′ by 20′ area in the corner of a parking lot by the library or a 15′ by 15′ area near a student union. He warned that such zones are often “designed to limit speakers to relatively small and isolated parts of campus” and observed that “people have a right to express themselves in ways that find an audience.”

Ultimately, Gillman wants safety and “inclusion,” but not at the cost of free ideas. He said, “The concerns that students are expressing are legitimate, and universities must commit themselves to the creation of safe and inclusive learning environments. But part of the learning environment you are creating in higher ed is one where any idea can be expressed, evaluated, contested and engaged.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.