Alan Dershowitz Rejects Idea Of University 'Safe Spaces'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Famed attorney Alan Dershowitz criticized the atmosphere on college campuses as closed-minded and openly hostile to opposing points of view. Dershowitz told Rich Zeoli on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT that he rejects the idea of 'safe spaces' because they are not applied equally to all sides.
"Safe spaces are for me but not for thee. The students who want safe spaces want them only for their own ideas. They are not prepared to give safe spaces to people who have other ideas. In fact, they won't even allow people with different views to express their views on campus."
He stated that he often has to be protected by security when he goes to certain schools.
"I make speeches that are balanced but pro Israel and, for example, when I went to Johns Hopkins the students claimed I was harassing them by not acknowledging that Israel commits war crimes. Of course, Israel does not commit war crimes. I'm not going to say that. But, I'm harassing the students by not saying what they want to hear. When I go to other colleges and universities, they try to shut me down. They don't allow me to speak. They try to shout over me and, in some instances, there have been threats to my life."
Dershowitz said college is not the right place for people who do not want their ideas to be challenged.
"We're treating children as adults when it comes to sex, basically, 17 and 18-year-olds are encouraged to have pretty open sex and often alcohol, and sometimes drugs, on campus, but when it comes to ideas, we're treating them as children. They go to mommy and daddy Dean and say, please, please, protect us from dangerous ideas, meaning ideas that they disagree with. If you want a safe space for your ideas, don't go to college or university. That's not a place you're going to get safety in your ideas."