John Leo's recent column took issue with what he called political correctness on college campuses. He cited as an example our school's College Republican Club, which conducted an anti-affirmative action bake sale at which customers were charged different amounts for the same products based on the customer's ethnicity. Mr. Leo has been a persistent voice supporting those on campus who hold unpopular views but feel unable to express them. Mr. Leo thinks that the bake sale was free speech and that criticism of it was unwarranted.
I beg to differ. Grand Valley State University has a proud tradition of free speech. Free expression is integral to our rights as citizens and is essential to the proper functioning of a college campus. I will always be its protector. So why do Mr. Leo and I disagree? It's because of a promise made by the College Republicans when they sought and received recognition as an approved student organization. The Club promised to follow the university's rule that all transactions on and with our campus be free from discrimination. For the violation of this rule, a student review panel asked the GOP Club to apologize to the campus community. The Club has done so.
Grand Valley insists that transactions on our campus and with our students contain no element of discrimination. Discrimination is wrong, no matter the point being made. To leave groups free to charge different prices based on race as long as they assert that they had a political reason for doing so would be wrong-headed and dangerous.
The College Republicans were engaged in political theatre of a sort, and if that were all they had done, Mr. Leo would not have had anything to write about. The problem here is that an act of theatre morphed into an act of discrimination. That's why the Club got into trouble with the university. The Club drew criticism from many individuals on our campus because Grand Valley is a community that welcomes diversity, and to them the Club's action was unwelcome. It is easy to see why so many took offense. I did as well. But statements that offend people can still freely be made at Grand Valley State University.
I hope this event will be a learning experience both on and off our campus. I have asked those on campus who engage in political discourse to choose options that elevate the discussion, not degrade it. Someone is more likely to listen to your opinion if you reason with them rather than insult them. All speech is protected, but elevated, thoughtful, and respectful discourse better serves our campus, our community and our world.
Mark A. Murray
President, Grand Valley State University
Allendale, Michigan
e-mail: [email protected]
