Erwin Chemerinsky: Free Speech on Campus

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Erwin Chemerinsky is one of the foremost scholars on free speech and the author of several books on constitutional law. His new book, Free Speech on Campus (written with Howard Gillman), delves into what freedom of expression looks like at universities today. Chemerinsky says the current generation of college students was taught bullying is wrong, and many of these students have applied that belief to limiting offensive and hurtful speech on campus. But, he tells, Robert Scheer, that many of these students were not fully educated in the history of free speech and how important it was to social movements including the civil rights movement and anti-Vietnam War protests. He also points out that the First Amendment applies only to government, not private companies like Google or Facebook.

Credits

Guest:

  • Erwin Chemerinsky - constitutional law professor and dean of UC Berkeley School of Law