Former ACLU president to discuss free speech

Nadine Strossen, former president of the American Civil Liberties Union and a professor at the New York University School of Law, will present “HATE: Why We Should Resist It With Free Speech, Not Censorship” at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 in the Lied Center for Performing Arts.

The free, public lecture is the second event in the 2018-19 E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues. To order tickets, click here or call the Lied Center box office at 402-472-4747. The forum is general admission, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis.

With her expert knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, Strossen is a valuable resource for understanding the context behind policies and legislation that curtail civil liberties, such as freedom of speech. In her new book, “HATE: Why We Should Resist It With Free Speech, Not Censorship,” she explores how speech is protected under the Constitution and how free speech can be used to counter hate speech.

Twice named one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in America” by The National Law Journal, Strossen draws from her two decades as ACLU president and current post at New York University to highlight the dangers that follow efforts to serve justice by limiting civil rights. She also offers useful strategies for achieving positive outcomes without violating constitutional rights.

Elizabeth Niehaus, assistant professor of educational administration at Nebraska, will give a pre-talk at 6:30 p.m. in the Lied Center’s Steinhart Room.

The E.N. Thompson series opened with a lecture by presidential historian Jon Meacham Oct. 9 and will conclude with a lecture by Nara Logics CEO Jana Eggers at 7 p.m. Feb. 26. Free tickets to the Eggers lecture are also available from the Lied Center.

Events are streamed here. The Nov. 7 lecture will be streamed on LNKTV Education and available live on Allo channel 23, Charter Spectrum 1303 and Windstream Kinetic 1080. The Feb. 26 lecture will be streamed on LNKTV City and available live on ALLO channel 2, Charter Spectrum 1300 and Windstream Kinetic 1005. Both events will also be accessible on campus channel 4 and KRNU radio 90.3 FM. The talks are interpreted for people who are deaf and hard of hearing.

The E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues is a cooperative project of the Cooper Foundation, Lied Center and the university. It was established in 1988 with the purpose of bringing a diversity of viewpoints on international and public policy issues to the university and people of Nebraska to promote understanding and encourage discussion.