Fortunately, it appears the 1998 Ward Connerly debacle was the exception, not the rule. Last night, David Horowitz was received by a respectful audience that, at least on the surface, listened to his general arguments and afterward responded with polite questions.
UW-Madison did much to counter the incorrect assumption that our campus cannot support an open dialogue. In quietly listening to Horowitz, the audience proved that, at least in this instance, UW-Madison does believe in freedom of speech in practice as well as on paper.
Compared to the University of Chicago, where student protests prevented Horowitz from speaking for 30 minutes, UW-Madison students did an exceptional job of creating an open forum where Horowitz could speak uninterrupted. Though Horowitz spoke bluntly, insulting members of the audience at times, the audience did not react rashly, as many had anticipated.
However, Horowitz did strike at the truth in his argument that this campus often drowns out more conservative viewpoints. Yesterday's DLS stands in sharp contrast with the debacle that occurred last spring when student organizations used intimidation to threaten The Badger Herald for publishing Horowitz's ad. Decried as an intolerant racist last spring, Horowitz yesterday showed that he can be well-reasoned, articulate and open to the expression of contrasting opinions.
Horowitz is not afraid of a debate. He has challenged the liberal community on campus to counter his arguments with facts and to participate in an honest debate. It is a challenge that Madison's liberal community can accept and overcome.
Hopefully in the future, UW-Madison will continue to invite open debate concerning controversial, thought-provoking matters.
