Awhile ago, I signed up as a member of the White Anti-racist Community Action Network (WACAN). Although it didn’t seem to pan out as an action network, it has certainly proven its worth in generating discussion. While reading the most recent e-newsleter, I found myself whisked off to a recent essay by Tim Wise (a favorite anti-racist writer of mine). The article is billiant and a must read. Check it out at http://www.lipmagazine.org/~timwise/freespeech.html.
The topic of conversation? The annual college campus race controversy. This year’s winner is Bellermine University in Kentucky. A brilliant young student (sorry, i don’t know how to convey sarcasm online) has taken upon himself to champion the cause of Blood and Honor, a neo-Nazi group, and, haphazardly, the cause of free speech.
This seems to be a topic that a lot of White liberals really wrestle with and seem to just give up on, choosing the safe path of free speech absolutism (safe for those that aren’t the victims of ‘free speech’ that is). Wise’s work is ingenious. For awhile, I’ve been against the idea of absolute free speech, opting instead for consensual models of liberatory speech. But Wise was able to make it so much clearer and easier to grasp.
Think about it, there are limitations to free speech that most of us would be unwilling to give up for some obscure absolutism. Sexual harassment laws, for example. Or confidentiality standards that forbid your medical history to be revealed.
On the other hand, Wise goes on to explain the short-comings of “speech coders”, those wishing to set strict codes as to what can and can’t be said. Speech coding, Wise contends, is the easy way out. A self-righteous path that allows individuals to feel accomplished without actually accomplishing much, at least not in the long run. Tell people what they can and can’t say will shield the fire, but it won’t put it out. While we are shielded from the flames of hate speech, the more insinuous and covert forms of racial inequality will continue to burn away behind the scenes.
So how do we really combat racism and its products such as hate speech? That’s what Wise is here to help us with. Go ahead, read it!
