Campus Intolerance on Display

One of the more troubling developments in recent decades has been the transformation of liberal (as in “free”) institutions of higher learning into the antithesis of academic freedom. 

I’m not talking about the leftward tilt of faculty members.  That is hardly a new discovery.  Over sixty years ago, for instance, William F. Buckley, Jr. documented the prevalence in God and Man at Yale of liberal academicians.  They have long held sway at American college campuses, and students could reasonably expect to receive a leftward slant in the political and philosophical presentations of the professors.

What is relatively new is the intolerance of significant numbers of student bodies to points of view that are not leftist.  In recent years, student protests have resulted in the cancellation of commencement day speeches by former Republican Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice and other noted personalities on the right.  And, of course, we’ve all heard of the drive for school “safe spaces” where students can gather to avoid hearing anything upsetting to their liberal mindset.  For some leftists, that’s not broad enough – the entire campus must be off limits to non-liberal ideas.

The campaign to shut down different views is couched in terms of “protest”.  After all, what is wrong with protesting against ideas with which one disagrees?  Nothing.  But under the guise of protesting, many seek to silence those with whom they differ. 

Thus, last week at Middleburg College in Vermont, conservative scholar Charles Murray (author most recently of Coming Apart, an examination of the social deterioration of America’s working class) was barred by a crowd from speaking at the scheduled site.  (Later he was able to give his talk at a different campus location).

[Is it coincidental that this is the same school that ordered the removal of the U.S. flag from its pole because some students took offense to its presence?]

How can this intolerance be fought?  Alas, most college administrators are inclined to minimize the offense.  After all, they share a leftist’s perspective with the protesting students.  The Middleburg president did criticize the participating students but added only that she would be ‘responding”.  Whatever does that mean?

How about expulsion or lengthy suspensions?   Attending college is not a right.  Being a member of the academic community should implicitly require acceptance of free speech.  If a person is unwilling to accept that condition, the individual doesn’t belong on the campus.