A Consequential Day for Free Speech

Dr. Frances Widdowson vs. The University of Lethbridge

By

James Pew

UPDATE 1/31/2023 - 4:25pm

Here is the latest interview with journalist Marnie Cathcart on the unfolding situation at the University of Lethbridge (as well as some discussion of the pre-arbitration MRU situation)

Also, here is a Letter from Mark Mercer (President of the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship) to Michael J. Mahon (President of the University of Lethbridge).

And from the CBC - Minister says Alberta to 'strengthen' free speech on campuses as U of L halts controversial lecture | CBC News - it appears all of this trouble Dr. Widdowson is going through may lead to good things!

UPDATE 1/31/2023 - 12:20 pm.

From Frances Widdowson’s public Facebook page:

Update: 1) The rumour is that a petition is in the works to get Paul Viminitz fired (presumably for making the campus "unsafe" by inviting me); and 2) I will be giving my talk at The Atrium at the University of Lethbridge at 4:30 p.m. on February 1. I will also give the talk by Zoom at 7:00 p.m. MT. Please send an email to widdowsonfrances at gmail.com to get the Zoom link.

Check back here for more updates as the situation unfolds.

Yesterday, I posted about the woke melodrama taking place at the University of Lethbridge over a guest lecture scheduled for tomorrow by Dr. Frances Widdowson. Even though at first there had been some push back from some students, faculty and administration (the fragile moral do-gooding and virtue signaling types that can’t handle hearing challenging or controversial ideas), it appeared as though the event was to proceed as planned.

In my post yesterday, I even gave some credit to President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon. Despite his virtue signaling it appeared he was not going to cancel the event. But then later in the day, after hearing from many “traumatized” snowflakes pre-harmed by words that hadn’t been spoken yet, decided to cancel.

However, Dr. Widdowson has vowed to give the talk at Lethbridge despite the cancellation. She posted the following to her public Facebook profile:

To the University of Lethbridge: I WILL be speaking at The Atrium at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. The title of my talk is "How 'Woke-ism' Threatens Academic Freedom". You will have to haul me away by security to stop me.

Here is an interview Dr. Widdowson did right after it was announced her lecture was canceled:

Since late last week, students started two different online petitions, and a counter lecture was announced (scheduled to take place at the same time as Dr. Widdowson’s lecture) with champion virtue signaler, “Mr. Residential School Denialist,” Sean Carleton, on the topic of “Indian Residential School denialism,” which isn’t a thing - no one denies that residential schools existed and were responsible for many harms against too many of the indigenous people who attended them.

Then later, the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA) posted an open letter to their website, calling out and countering “unwelcome and hurtful speech and to protect students, colleagues, and community members,” which began:

“As most Members will be aware, there has been considerable and harmful controversy on campus in the past week concerning a guest lecture.”

Just a point of clarification. No one was harmed. Words and ideas are not violence. The subject matter of Dr. Widdowson’s lecture had been announced ahead of time, students who do not want to hear the lecture are in no way compelled to. Why isn’t that good enough? Why is U of L treating their students like they are children incapable of looking out for their own “safety” (concerning which speakers and ideas to consider). And even more alarming, why do some many students act like scared little children who think that controversial lecturers who challenge woke assertions will cause them harm?

The histrionics of the entire scenario is sickening. The ULFA open letter, treating everyone involved like fragile chinaware that could so easily break if even gently bumped the wrong way, goes on to say:

In addition to this Member-led initiative, the Board and University Administration are offering support to students, faculty, and community members through Counselling Services, Employee Family Assistance Program, Iikaisskini Indigenous Services, and  Elder in Residence program. Additional resources for immediate support include:

• The 24/7 Crisis Support line of the Indian Residential School Survivors Society : 1-800-721-0066

• The 24-hour National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419

After explaining their counter-protest itinerary, ULFA goes on to state in creepy and cult-like fashion:

Truth and Reconciliation is an ongoing project and acknowledging inequity, racism, and privilege is difficult and exacting work. It is only by insisting on such high standards that we can hope to advance our common goals. We state our solidarity with our Indigenous colleagues and students, with the Indigenous people of the Siksikaitsitapii (Blackfoot Confederacy) territory on which our University is located, and with the struggles for truth, acknowledgement and healing of all Indigenous peoples.

I will update this post throughout the day as new developments take shape. It is my hope that Dr. Widdowson will be able to give her lecture without being blocked or shouted down by activists who hate free speech and academic freedom.

Please bookmark this post and come back to it throughout the day for updates.

#IStandWithFrancesWiddowson

___

Thanks for reading. For more on this topic read yesterday’s post Totalitarianism is on the move: We need to fight back with everything that we have

Please consider supporting Woke Watch Canada by becoming a paid subscriber.

---