Herb Rothschild: A meaningful freedom - Opinion - DailyTidings.com - Ashland, OR

Ashland Daily Tidings (Ashland, OR — Wayback)

2015-03-29

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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation  |  Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Police Reports Schneider Art Museum installation re-imagines Rivera UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit 10 things to know for Friday Education New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Rotary Club of Ashland names Riley O'Sullivan as Student of the Month Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Snow hopes dashed, Mt. Ashland Ski Area hosts season-ending party Saturday Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Test Drive: 2015 Honda Accord Cars We Remember: The original Candymatic Ramchargers Politics and elections Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries Death Notices Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Ashland Rowing Club hires highly touted coach and national-award winning team director to lead expansion Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Blazers fight back, edge Jazz Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory High school Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Southern Oregon University Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Voices Latest Stories Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Letters to the Editor, March 27 Editorial Our View: Build it; they will play Our View: How it should work Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Letters Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Columns Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Jeffrey Gillespie: Pax Americana? At what price? Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Top 5 things to do this week Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Community blog: Words, wine and Craig Wright 4 Things To Do This Week Theater Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ashland Contemporary Theatre seeks new artistic director Ticket Availability The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Music Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: In ‘Danny Collins,’ Pacino helps us imagine a Lennon story Noah Baumbach talks Ben Stiller, adult comedies and more In 'Timbuktu,' lust for power disturbs peace Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque App Finder: Best barbecue apps Health Watch: It’s OK to have a cheat day Inner Peace: The good, the bad and the spiritual Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED   » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW   Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28       ...       Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent       ...       Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity       ...       Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28       ...       Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent       ...       Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity       ...           RELOCATIONS Herb Rothschild: A meaningful freedom Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Mar. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Mar. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM »  Social News Walter Lippman (1889-1974), perhaps the greatest U.S. political commentator of the last century, was an eloquent defender of free speech, but not on the grounds of personal expression. He wrote that 20 people speaking simultaneously from 20 soapboxes in Hyde Park wouldn’t be a meaningful practice of free speech. A meaningful practice would be 20 people speaking in turn from the same soapbox to the other 19. Lippman’s point was that free speech has a collective purpose — to further the quest for the best understanding of a subject that we can attain at any given time. He felt such a quest was essential for a healthy society, and he wrote to that end. The U.S. Supreme Court hasn’t been as single-minded about the First Amendment as Lippman was. At times it has protected speech from government repression on the grounds of personal expression. I wouldn’t want it otherwise, but if our nation had to make the unhappy choice between speech intended for the public good and speech intended for self-expression, I’d unhesitatingly choose the former. I don’t write this column to express myself. I write it to engage your minds and hearts. I’m grateful to those who tell me that you read Relocations with interest and pleasure. Sometimes you add, “I don’t always agree with you.” That gratifies me as well. Given the breadth of my subject matter and the limits of my knowledge, I would be stunned if we were always of the same mind. But I wish you would specify our disagreements. How can I improve my understanding if you don’t help me? The importance of achieving the best understanding we can depends on the subject and the circumstances of our inquiry. But what strikes me as invariable and important beyond any specific inquiry is a habit of mind such inquiries inculcate. That habit is compounded of curiosity, self-discipline, work, humility and delight in exercising one’s own mind. All those traits are required to free ourselves from received opinions and move us toward considered judgments. The terminal degree in most fields of scholarship, not just philosophy, is the PhD because the word philosophy means “lover of truth.” It takes years of practice to become an accomplished lover. So Relocations is my way of courting you. You needn’t respond publicly, although I encourage you to send letters to the paper or post comments below the on-line version. Also you could send me a note via Peace House. But if you were a quiet student (the talkiest aren’t always the most thoughtful), then explore for yourself why something I have said strikes you as wrongheaded. At a minimum, doing so will help you put your differing opinion on a firmer basis of understanding. Lippman argued that we should protect the expression of even mistaken opinions because they serve that constructive purpose. Showing respect for differing opinions doesn’t just entail acknowledging people’s right to express them. It means assuming they are trying to help us. And that assumption moves the relationship beyond the intellectual to the more fully personal. It takes us to mutual care, which must be added to mutual respect if we are to build a healthy community. I don’t mind thinking of this column as Lippman’s shared soapbox, but I’d prefer to think of it as a congregation of care that all of you are invited to join. Herb Rothschild Jr. is chairman of the board of Peace House. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Mar. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments   Reader Reaction »  STAY INFORMED   Email NewsLetter   Sign Up Today   Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed   Email newsletter   Sign Up Today   Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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