I believe that the majority of students on this campus, no matter what their political beliefs are, would agree that the First Amendment of the Constitution, guaranteeing every citizen of this country freedom of speech, is a fundamental part of what makes the United States a great and unique country. It is also wonderful that the interpretation of the term "speech" has been expanded to include an individual's actions, such as protesting. While it is in their constitutional rights to express their feelings about Halliburton and great that they have gone to great lengths to educate the University of Wisconsin campus about certain things the company has done, the members of the Campus Antiwar Network (CAN) need to realize that there are at least two sides and opinions in every situation. While their demonstration Thursday helped contribute to what makes America great, the fact that they did, or at least intended to, physically block students from accessing the Halliburton table is undemocratic and un-American.
In a democracy, freedom of speech assures that your message will be sent, but not necessarily that your message will be received. The only thing CAN can do is help students make educated decisions. However, by blocking the table they are going too far and trying to make the decision for students. Not allowing someone to make a decision that opposes their own views is not part of the democratic or American ideologies. In fact, it is tyrannical. It takes away an individual's freedom of speech, and that is un-American!
Liberals throughout United States often criticize conservatives for being judgmental of or biased against groups of people who are not white, heterosexual, male or part of the corporate world. Not only is it un-American for protesters to make a decision for the UW campus, it is also hypocritical of liberals and other anti-war supporters to claim it would be unethical for an individual to want to work for Halliburton. Whereas liberals wonder who gave conservatives the right to claim homosexuality is immoral, I am wondering, who gave people the right to claim that working for Halliburton is unethical?
There are still many people on this campus and in this country who believe in this war and in defending the freedoms of American life. Just because they may be in the minority now does not mean they should be stopped from standing up and voicing their beliefs. Living in a democracy and being American means every voice has a chance to be heard.
Allison Nelson
UW junior, political science