""We are in the cancel culture part of the tragedy cycle." This is the declaration of Adam Goldstein, vice president of strategic initiatives for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, writing at the organization's website. In the piece, dated Sept. 12, he chronicles almost three dozen incidents of individuals being sanctioned, suspended or terminated for public remarks following the tragic killing of Charlie Kirk."
"The vast majority of these incidents concern schools, colleges and universities. The examples exhibit a pattern of public outrage, which gets the attention of a public official, who then calls for sanction, followed by the sanction being administered by another public entity. As a typical example, Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn called for the firing of a Cumberland University professor on Sept. 11, the day after Kirk's death."
"Goldstein says that this is a cycle of "the cancel culture machine. It goes like this: A tragedy happens. Someone reacts by celebrating that tragedy for whatever reason. Then the social media mob comes to demand this person be fired, expelled, or otherwise punished for their views." I'm appreciative of Goldstein's work to compile, publicize and criticize these actions, but I have an important point of disagreement. Most of these are not incidents of cancel culture. It's censorship."
Almost three dozen individuals faced sanctions, suspensions, or terminations for public remarks after the killing of Charlie Kirk. Most incidents occurred at schools, colleges, and universities. A recurring sequence emerged: public outrage attracts a public official's attention, the official demands sanction, and another public entity imposes punishment. A senator called for a professor's firing on Sept. 11 and the professor was dismissed the next day alongside a staff member. A labeled cycle—"the cancel culture machine"—describes social media demands for punishment, but many of these actions function as censorship by officials rather than private canceling. Social media expression remains legally protected speech unless it violates the law.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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