Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Advertisements
Advertisements

Chavez will likely test UW students’ commitment to free speech

Salman Rushdie said Tuesday evening it is easy to support free
speech when you agree with the speaker, but a true advocate of free
speech is one who will defend the right of a speaker with whom he
or she vehemently disagrees.

This was the one substantive thing Rushdie had to say Tuesday —
he left little time to say much else of substance because he was
too busy delivering one-line jabs at President Bush, Attorney
General Ashcroft, Secretary Ridge and other Republicans.

Rushdie is correct about free speech. Not everyone in the
audience was amused by his mischaracterizations of President Bush,
such as when he strongly implied Bush had never read a book and
made other absurd comments that displayed his surprising
immaturity. But despite these ignorant comments, Rushdie was
permitted to speak. The audience treated him with respect and
without any interruptions or outbursts. Freedom of speech prevailed
— likely because a large percentage of the audience agreed with
his cheap shots and the rest of the audience decided to behave like
mature adults.

Advertisements

This upcoming Monday evening, Madison students will have a real
chance to prove they subscribe to Rushdie’s view of free speech.
Linda Chavez, a leading conservative author and president of the
Center for Equal Opportunity, a public-policy research organization
in Washington, D.C., will be speaking as part of the Distinguished
Lecture Series.

Madison’s history of tolerance when it comes to conservative
speakers is a mixed bag and nothing to be terribly proud of.

University of California regent Ward Connerly was shouted off
the stage when he came to speak on campus in 1998.

Speakers including Ralph Reed and David Horowitz were treated at
least mildly well, but only after intense behind-the-scenes work to
ensure there was not a repeat of the Connerly incident.

Last spring, author and Middle East expert Daniel Pipes came to
speak on campus. A respectful and well-spoken Pipes was ridiculed
and frequently interrupted and verbally attacked during the
question-and-answer period. Short outbursts during his speech also
occurred. Pipes’ problem: He spoke the truth, and the truth
sometimes hurts. He noted that Palestinian terrorist organizations
in Israel, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, were not looking for a
peaceful coexistence of Israel and Palestine, but rather an
elimination of Israel — an idea accepted by most Middle Eastern
experts.

UW’s short-lived speech code and the Connerly and Pipes speeches
are arguably the most embarrassing free-speech moments in the last
20 years for UW. Connerly and Pipes made arguments people may
disagree with, but the far left on this campus could not handle
even hearing these speakers or letting others hear them speak.
(And, unlike Rushdie, Connerly and Pipes, they did not spend their
speaking time taking cheap shots at people.)

Linda Chavez’s speech Monday will likely be controversial. She
will likely argue why affirmative action is bad for society, an
argument many writers have also made in the past.

Chavez will hopefully also discuss the war on terrorism and the
war in Iraq, two issues of vital importance facing America today
and issues that local Madison media outlets frequently fail to
address in a balanced manner.

If this university and its students truly believe in the
“sifting and winnowing of ideas,” it is essential that UW students
treat Chavez with the respect and dignity all guests who come to
speak at this university deserve.

If UW students do not act mature enough to treat Chavez with
respect, Chancellor Wiley and other administrators should speak out
and for once condemn this disrespectful student behavior. It is
easy for the administration to say it believes in an open forum of
discussion, but this talk is cheap when it isn’t supported with
action.

Students should go see Ms. Chavez with an open mind, willing to
listen to her thoughts and ideas about affirmative action and other
pressing issues in society. And if the idea of listening with an
open mind to opinions with which you may disagree is too repulsive
for you to handle, then stay home.

 

Matt Modell ([email protected]) is a
senior majoring in journalism and political science.

Advertisements
Leave a Comment
Donate to The Badger Herald

Your donation will support the student journalists of University of Wisconsin-Madison. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to The Badger Herald

Comments (0)

All The Badger Herald Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *