Controversial filmmaker Michael Moore will visit the University of Wisconsin-Madison Oct. 16 as part of his nationwide tour of college campuses before the Nov. 2 presidential election.
The “Slacker Uprising Tour,” which began Sept. 26 in Michigan and ends Election Day in Florida, has Moore stopping in 60 cities in battleground states. Many venues have sold out, and estimates show more than 600,000 people will participate.
“We really wanted to bring [Moore] in with the political scene heating up. We were approached by his agent,” said Adam Diederich, director of the Wisconsin Union Directorate’s Distinguished Lecture Series.
Moore will speak in Madison through the Spotlight Series, organized by the Contemporary Issues Committee and DLS.
Moore said his goal is to see more than 56 percent of the voting population head to the polls this year, a percentage last seen in the 1968 presidential election.
“I am calling for a non-voter uprising, led by thousands of campus slackers who proudly sleep ’til noon and who believe papers are for rolling, not reading,” Moore said in a press release. “They are rightfully cynical, but this year their motto will be: ‘Bush and Kerry both suck — That’s why I’m voting for John Kerry!'”
Moore’s tour, however, has not been well received on all college campuses.
California State University at San Marcos cancelled Moore’s campus appearance on the grounds Moore was too partisan a speaker for a university-sponsored event so soon before the election, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported.
The San Marcos student government, Associated Students Inc., protested by collecting enough funds to host Moore. Both liberal and conservative students pushed for Moore’s visit, saying speakers visit campuses to provoke discussion.
Thus far, however, Moore has not accepted the students’ offer, calling the issue one of free speech and insisting the university foot the bill for his appearance.
UW philosophy professor Lester Hunt said he does not believe UW will place restrictions on its campus speakers.
“We’ve had some pretty inflammatory people on campus [in the past],” Hunt said. “The university itself has consistently refused to have any such rules about how some people shouldn’t be allowed to speak.”
Hunt added that many faculty members would be offended at such a challenge to freedom of speech on campus.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, Utah Valley State College has not rescinded its invitation to Michael Moore, who is slated to appear this month. It has, however, also invited Sean Hannity, a conservative talk show host, to speak Oct. 11, thus balancing the discussion.
“My own opinion is balance should not be a condition on anyone’s speaking, but I think it’s highly desirable that college campuses seek balance,” Hunt said.
The University of Wisconsin does not have a policy on balance, though Diederich said the committees seek balance when considering speakers to invite. Currently the group has invited Sean Hannity to speak, with no response.
“Could we bring in Michael Moore without Sean Hannity? Absolutely. Could we bring in Sean Hannity without Michael Moore? Absolutely,” Diederich said. “We make offers to both sides, and we’re going to do what we can within those limits.”
Diederich said since many conservatives hesitate to spend money in Madison, which they often feel is overwhelmingly Kerry territory, mostly liberals and Kerry supporters come to speak at UW.
Hunt said he recalled only four speakers in Madison who were met with, “very raucous, disrespectful audiences.”
“If your views are unpopular enough, you might have an audience that won’t let you speak,” he said, adding, however, that UW has nevertheless always allowed a wide range of controversial speakers to visit.
Students interested in the DLS can attend the weekly meetings Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Union (TITU).
