One of the most basic liberal principles is freedom of speech without the threat of persecution. Universities like U.C. Berkeley will go out of their way to prove that they believe that all individuals have the right to speak and defend their opinion, but will then simultaneously silence anyone whose opinions may differ from theirs. The far right wing of the United States has figured out that liberals are extremely easy to trigger and upset. They will scream, overreact and riot at the littlest micro-aggression, and this reaction only then makes the right wing stronger. By denying Milo Yiannopoulos the right to speak at the university, they give him greater power and publicity, rather than show the world that he is nothing but a puppet for one political movement. He can then go on to shows like “Real Time with Bill Maher” and just talk about how Berkeley is oppressive and out of control, never having to defend the opinions that he wanted to express in his speech.

The same exact ruse that Yiannopoulos uses to make liberals’ hair go ablaze is what Ann Coulter has been using for years. When she is actually held accountable for her opinions and the issues she supports, people soon realize how shallow, unimportant and indefensible Coulter really is. Rather than scream and riot, students and universities should listen to what she has to say and then question her. Force her to support her facts. Don’t boo and cry if she says something racist about Latin Americans, ask her to prove it and then provide reliable facts denying it. Make her look like the fool she is and then she will become irrelevant.

I know what everyone is going to say. “Well, in the world of fake news that will never work.” The reality is, you can thank a lack of accountability for the Trump presidency and the “alt-right.” Republicans during the primaries attempted to outdo his “shock factor” or all out ignore him. Marco Rubio’s “small hands” comments come to mind. Likewise, mainstream Democrats and liberal media, in my opinion, didn’t prove him to be a joke. They gave him a platform due to curiosity and it was too late when they finally decided to fact check.

You can kill off the Ann Coulters of the world only if you let them speak long enough to walk into their own trap. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t protest them or consider them a reliable source. If anything, laughing at what they say is more discrediting than crying and rioting. Coulter should be allowed to speak at Berkeley because it’s time sheltered students learn how to discredit idiots and stand up for what they believe in.

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