The Oxford Union has a very long and glorious history. At 200 years old, it has hosted debates that have featured some of the most important world-historical figures from every walk of life. Politicians, artists, philosophers, scientists, activists…the list goes on.

Free speech has been at the core of its mission–in fact, without free speech it would be utterly irrelevant, as dull as a cable news point-counterpoint non-debate.

In 1933, as the Nazis were gaining power in Germany, the Union held a debate on whether England deserved the loyalty of its citizens–and in particular whether fighting for “King and country” was justified. It was, needless to say, controversial, especially in light of the rise of Nazism.

The most famous debate in the Union’s history came in the Hilary Term of 1933. The motion eventually settled on was ‘This House Will under no circumstances fight for its King and its Country’. Pacifism was in fact a frequent Union debate subject, and had been since the First World War. It was in those days still rare for more than two external speakers to come up to Oxford for the debate; student members would propose and oppose the motion. …

This House was in fact gathered, he suggested, to affirm that it would ‘never commit murder on a huge scale whenever the Government directed it should do so.’ Despite a long speech from Quintin Hogg, the future Lord Chancellor, the motion was carried by a comfortable majority. 428 members voted, 275 supporting the proposition. This was more than at other debate that term, although a sizeable rather than overwhelming turnout.

Members of the past were made of sterner stuff, apparently. Now the Union can’t even debate whether there are two sexes or an infinite number without having counselors for the traumatized present. (via The College Fix, a website you should visit frequently!)

Speaker has argued that biological sex is real

One of the world’s oldest and most prestigious debating societies will offer an emotional support team and a “welfare space” to help students cope with an upcoming speaker who has criticized the dominant transgender ideology.

English philosopher Kathleen Stock, who has affirmed the male-female binary and argued that gender should not trump sex in all circumstances, is scheduled to speak at the Oxford Union at the end of the month, The Times UK reported Tuesday.

The union stated that during the event, it would provide a “non-student support team that will remain in a separate welfare space to offer counseling and advice,” according to The Times.

It will also offer “student welfare officers.” Students will be allowed to ask questions anonymously online.

This is, perhaps, one of the most pathetic displays of pusillanimity ever displayed at Oxford, whose history goes back a thousand years. Even during the religious wars in England, the University hosted lively debates about theology, if not entirely ones without limits. The concept of academic freedom was born at Oxford.

And now students cannot survive without the help of counselors the speech of a woman who believes that there are two genders.

Hi @OULGBTQ this statement contains several falsehoods and though I’m not a lawyer, I think it is probably defamatory. Also, it makes you look utterly ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/7VyLN7hWwK

— Kathleen Stock (@Docstockk) April 23, 2023

Free speech has been turned into “the guise of free speech,” as if confronting ideas that differ from our own is so intolerable that it is an act of aggression. Free speech is not a thing to be celebrated and defended, but an excuse to oppress people by uttering syllables that apparently cause irreparable harm to the listeners.

This is, needless to say, utterly shameful. Not just because the Union is embracing the idea that dissenters are anathema to civilized discourse, but also because it is endorsing the idea that even those who can easily choose to avoid hearing the offending syllables should nevertheless be coddled by the mere presence of people with differing views.

At the root of this madness is an acceptance of the ridiculous claim that there is, through the mere act of speech, “a constant attack on [transgender] lives…”

This is insane. If anything, there is an attack on anybody who dissents. Ask Posie Parker and Riley Gaines, who were assaulted for saying words.

Universities have been at the forefront of the assault on free thinking, the exact opposite of the role they should play in society. The Marxist mind virus that has destroyed academia has spread from the confines of campuses and escaped like COVID-19 from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Our civilization’s immune system must respond, and it is perhaps already too late to save the patient. But we can’t give up while there is hope. Western Civilization is the greatest achievement in humanity’s history so far, and it would be a tragedy if a bunch of blue-haired whiners are allowed to murder it.