If college students can't be allowed to hear challenging ideas, who can? Good grief!
I just saw this article from the Chronicle of Higher Education (the link will expire in a few days):
Fearing Political Backlash, President of Florida Gulf Coast U. Disinvites a Campus Speaker By MICHAEL ARNONE
At Florida Gulf Coast University, the newest storm on the horizon is a Tempest, not a hurricane.
William C. Merwin, the university's president, announced on Wednesday that he was postponing the campus's annual celebration for freshmen out of fear that the invited speaker, Terry Tempest Williams, would turn the event into a political rally against President Bush.
Williams acknowledged that she does not support Bush's policies but stated that she would not have been giving a partisan speech. Rather, her goal would have been "to help people overcome partisan contrariness and to better understand one another through civil dialogue."
[BTW, I think we all could use help on that topic right now. As the election draws nearer, I know I find it harder and harder even to listen to the other side, and don't get me started on "undecided" voters--I'll start sounding like Samantha Bee!]
To me, one of the scariest parts of this article was this:
Mr. Merwin said he had felt no outside political pressure to make his decision, but affirmed that his concerns did run beyond political balance to the university's balance sheet. He said he understood that the university could face repercussions from donors, lawmakers, and trustees for allowing a partisan speech attacking the president, whose brother is Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, in a swing state just days before the election.
So much for academic freedom. The Chronicle also notes that universities have been canceling appearances by Michael Moore, too, e.g., George Mason U and Cal State San Marcos. Can it be a coincidence that the canceled speakers are all liberal?
Heck, I didn't protest when Michelle Malkin came to my campus to talk to students about journalism. And that's more shocking, given the fact that what she practices these days is hardly journalism--unless you consider Ann Coulter-esque rants to be journalism.
College should be about encouraging students to think! College can't do that if students don't get the chance to consider different views! Why is that so hard for people to understand?
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