Shutting down dissent

The big news today involves Facebook shutting down a number of people for "hateful speech", which happens to be, with one token exception, speech from one political side.

Story time.

This one is from college, a long time ago, during a presidential administration whose domestic accomplishments included Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act.  Dark times, indeed.

Like most universities at the time, there was a place where people gathered to speak.  This area could be reserved by groups, but it wasn't closed down.  It was mostly students using this place, of course, but it also attracted preachers.  These preachers were universally considered a joke, mocked by everyone.  Picture a fire and brimstone preacher, straight out of an old cartoon.

Now one day, the campus gay rights group reserved this place.  This was back when gays and lesbians were far from accepted.  (Remember the dark times I mentioned.)  Of course, one of the aforementioned preachers came.

Now, this was a gay rights group whose name specifically called it out as a place for allies, as well as gays and lesbians.  So imagine the kind of student this group might want to reach: attended church as a child, learned that homosexuality was wrong, but never thought too hard about it.  Imagine the impact you could have by contrasting the two.  Pro: a reasoned argument from an intelligent college student.  Anti: a crazy preacher who says everyone will burn in hell.

But if you know the left, you know what actually happened.  The gay rights group had the campus police remove the preacher.

Why?  They must not have believed in the power of their own arguments if they thought it would lose to a joke.

So now we have today.  Alex Jones is a punchline.  Infowars is a joke.  How bad must your argument be if you fear people comparing it to that?