Protesters disrupt remarks by Jeff Younger at the University of North Texas

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At the University of North Texas on March 3, 2022., Young Conservative of Texas student group members were unable to hear from state legislative candidate Jeff Younger, as protestors banged tables and rang noisemakers to drown him out.

The heckler’s veto, or the use of disruptive tactics to silence speakers, has no place in educational institutions dedicated to fostering freedom of speech. Like book burning, it is a form of repression rooted in a desire to prevent the full array of ideas from being heard. Rather than allow individuals to learn from speakers and make up their own minds about the world around them, the heckler arrogantly prevents all listeners from hearing the speech. Shutting up speakers supplants challenging divergent opinions with logic and reason.

The willingness to have a discussion necessarily entails allowing your adversaries to speak, and that’s what separates the heckler’s veto from protected counterprotest. FIRE urges students to counter speech they dislike with more speech, not censorship or violence. This “more speech” approach fosters a deeper understanding of opposing views, but these salutary discussions cannot occur when one side persistently disallows the other to speak. The categorical difference between more speech and the heckler’s veto is the rejection of any effort to meaningfully engage with opposing views, eschewing dialogue for disruption.

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