Freedom of Speech
Harvard just earned a dubious distinction.
According to an annual report released by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression on Wednesday, Harvard is the worst university in the U.S. when it comes to free speech.
To determine the rankings, FIRE assessed student perceptions of free speech on campus as well as behavior by faculty, administrators and undergraduates toward free expression. Overall, there are 248 ranked colleges on the list, with Harvard earning 0 points, the lowest ever recorded, and given an “abysmal” classification. The University of Pennsylvania, University of South Carolina, Georgetown, and Fordham join Harvard at the bottom of the pack. Michigan Technological University was ranked as the best school for free speech in America, alongside Auburn, the University of New Hampshire, and Oregon State University.
…
Read MoreFreedom Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, in the second day of their trial on mischief and intimidation charges, heard testimony from Ottawa Police Services (OPS) Russell Lucas on the days leading up to the implementation of the Emergencies Act.
Lucas, who admitted although he was in charge of overseeing a plan to concentrate protestors to a designated area on Wellington Street to help minimize the impact on the city, never entered the Wellington demonstration zone, nor did he directly participate in negotiations, nor has he ever had any contact with Lich or Barber.
…
Read MoreThe Ottawa Hospital is reinstating mask mandates starting September 11. This is deeply concerning as many dread that it won’t be long before others follow suit.
Beginning September 11, masking will be required in all clinical areas and waiting rooms at The Ottawa Hospital. pic.twitter.com/uk3QQUBCkh
— The Ottawa Hospital (@OttawaHospital) September 6, 2023
After thoroughly dissecting the existing medical evidence, a Cochrane Library review published in January concluded “there was not a clear reduction in respiratory viral infection with the use of medical/surgical masks.”
This makes mask mandates nothing more than an ideologically motivated directive rather than an evidence-based recommendation.
…
Read MoreOn 17 April 2023, a petition [1] was debated in the UK Parliament calling for the Government “to commit to not signing any international treaty on pandemic prevention and preparedness established by the WHO, unless this is approved through a public referendum.” The petition had received 156,086 signatures. Of the thirteen Members of Parliament (MPs) who spoke during the debate [2] four strongly supported the motion, three took a more neutral stance, and six strongly opposed the petition or elements of the argument. Examples of arguments in support of the petition can be viewed in a collation of clips taken from the video of the debate [3].
…
Read MoreHarvard University has been named 2023’s worst school for free speech by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). The organization recently released its annual college free speech rankings, in which it dubbed the state of free speech at the Ivy League school “abysmal.” Harvard’s rating of zero out of 100 is a full 11 points lower than its closest woke rival.
“Harvard is consistently ranked one of the best universities in the United States. But FIRE frequently finds itself in the odd position of giving this all-star academic school failing grades,” FIRE stated in a press release published Wednesday.
…
Read MoreThe New York Times on Sept. 1 published a “guide to fall vaccine shots,” which included recommending the general public get COVID-19, flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccines, and infants 6 months and older receive COVID-19 shots this fall.
Written by Times senior writer David Leonhardt, the guide warns about rising COVID-19 cases and the approaching flu season, before offering, “The good news is that there are vaccines and treatments that reduce risks from all major viruses likely to circulate this season.”
According to the Times, “This year, we should take a broader approach,” rather than “obsess over COVID.”
…
Read MoreThe second day of the trial for Tamara Lich, one of the organizers of the Freedom Convoy, is underway in Ottawa. Lich faces charges including mischief, obstructing police, intimidation, and counselling others to commit mischief related to her involvement in the protests against COVID-19 restrictions.
…
Read MoreTrial starts with contentious debates over the nature of the demonstration as both sides presented starkly contrasting narratives.
…
Read MoreIn a country once globally revered for its commitment to freedom and democracy, Canada finds itself entangled in a disturbing transformation—a crisis that stretches beyond public health to encompass failures of governance and the erosion of democratic ideals. Tamara Lich, Chris Barber, and the Coutts 4 serve as the flashpoints.
…
Read MoreUnless you have been living in a cave, you will have heard that Jordan Peterson is currently the target of a modern-day witch hunt by his regulatory college. I pray for his success and I can truly sympathize, as I’m one of many health-care practitioners (HCPs) who has been the target of attacks by activists due to my political views, using my professional regulatory college as the weapon.
I’m a physician in Nova Scotia. In 2019, I wrote an op-ed for the Halifax Chronicle-Herald about the death of personal responsibility in the criminal justice system, and how dealing with criminals in hospital emergency rooms in a world without consequences creates an unsafe situation for staff. Over time I had noticed more and more aggression toward nurses, paramedics, police, and physicians—the team that is charged with dealing with people in the midst of violent altercations, mental health crises, or drug intoxication.
…
Read More