UT Law School dean supports free speech except speech that . . .

If you follow @instapundit on Twitter, you are familiar with Twitter's decision to suspend Professor Glenn Reynolds. The reason for doing so was that Twitter didn't like his message! During the Charlotte riots thugs surrounded cars on the Interstate. Professor Reynolds tweeted "run them over." This advice was as opposed to sitting in your car until the thugs pulled motorists from their cars and beat them. 

Well, the sanctimonious Left rose up in outrage--this led to Twitter's action--and demanded action be taken. Twitter did reverse itself; but now UT Law dean Melanie Wilson has decided to investigate Professor Reynolds's speech. (Professor Reynolds teaches law at UT.) Dean Wilson assures us that she supports free speech except speech "that encourages violence." And apparently it is she who will make that determination. 

The surrounded motorists who are on Twitter and who follow @instapundit on Twitter probably had more pressing matters last night than checking Twitter. And by the time they were removed from the situation and checked Twitter it would have been too late for them to run the rioters over. So much for the dean's opposition to speech "that encourages violence." There was no real opportunity for the readers to engage in violence. And if my family and I had been surrounded by that band of thugs, I wouldn't have needed the good professor's advice: it sounds more like self-defense!

Don't let Dean Wilson and her ilk dictate to us the speech that should be allowed and the speech that should not be allowed. 

Here is the text of my e-mail to Dean Wilson and her e-mail address is mdwilson@utk.edu you can also try utk.edu@cmail20.com

Dear Dean Wilson,

Your claim to support free speech is belied by the statement that you don't support speech  "that encourages violence." And it is you who determines that? The speech you support is speech with which you agree. Otherwise, you would simply have told those whom Professor Reynolds offended that you are not in the business of policing speech. 

But I'll play your game and assume you should take action against speech "that encourages violence." How would Professor Reynolds's tweet have encouraged violence last night? Those in their cars who were surrounded by a mob on the Interstate would have had more pressing matters to deal with than checking Twitter. And by the time they were removed from the situation and looked at Twitter, assuming they follow Professor Reynolds, it would have been too late. 

If you insist on policing speech, please don't do it under the banner "I support free speech." Be honest and acknowledge that you support speech with which you agree and investigate all other speech.

Let the dean know how you feel!