``Some bad ideas deserve to be stifled with silence.'' Justin Schwartz
``But this abducates the responsibility implied in Brandeis's logic. When the bad idea hits the airways, it is the duty of good civil libertarians, not to be silent, but to argue it down vigorously. The Brandeis approach doesn't work using the silent treatment.'' Charles Brown
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I think latter point is the important one in relation to Horowitz. The small noise at Berkeley, seemed like protesting a kkk meeting and even had some of the same elements, as the kid I was talking to pointed out. He, said, if he's Jewish [Horowitz], what's he doing talking to skin-heads? Three or four other college kids with shaved heads had just passed by where we were sitting, and they were headed down the hill to butt in line.
So, I got to thinking that this was something like making noise over hate speech. It's best to denounce obnoxious people and obnoxious ideas and take you're chances in the larger public arena. Better to let them and the rest of the world know, even if you risk the co-lateral spread of their crap and some vague and diffused alienation.
On the other hand, I wouldn't want to push this anti-Horowitz campaign much further than about the level of minor static he received here.
Chuck Grimes