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On July 31, the Globe and Mail published an op-ed by Deborah MacLatchy, president of Wilfrid Laurier University, titled “Not merely free speech, but better speech needs to be protected on campus.”

Like many Globe and Mail commenters, I wonder who gets to judge what qualifies as “better” speech? Free speech advocates at Laurier, like myself, reject authoritarian control over speech. In order to determine what is “better” or “worse” we need to exchange ideas freely, not avoid subjects because they are perceived to be disempowering and to disrespect the dignity of oppressed identities.

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Despite trying to appear even-handed, MacLatchy’s op-ed consistently supports her version of social justice over the pursuit of truth.

She warns that we must combat language that threatens the humanity of the students. This is a variation on the empirically false claim that speech can deny an identity, that speech is violence. In the wake of a free speech demonstration, many at Laurier argued that the campus was unsafe due to the ideas being discussed. The administration announced its commitment to campus safety.