Free speech, free
thought and education under attack
By Scott Tibbs
web
posted February 25, 2002
The American higher education system, at its best, should be a place
where one's mind is expanded. It should be a place where one is exposed
to a diverse range of ideas, thoughts, ideologies and beliefs, so that
one can learn about and analyze them and make an informed decision about
the merits of each one. Above all else, colleges and universities should
educate their students on the world they live in.
But some elements of the radical left do not believe that education,
or the free exchange of ideas, should be put above the feelings of people
who may be offended by what they are exposed to. At Indiana University
in Bloomington, Indiana, the Black Student Union is arguing that the University
should remove a "controversial" mural from a large lecture hall
on campus. The painting in question depicts several scenes from Indiana's
history, including a scene of a cross burning by the Ku Klux Klan.
The mural's critics argue that students should not be subjected to such
offensive images while in a class. But the paintings are hardly pushing
an image of the KKK into students' faces. Instead, the image of the KKK
is a small part of the overall painting, one that I had to actually look
for in order to find when I investigated the matter myself. If a student
cannot handle a discreet image on the wall of a classroom and his ability
to perform academically is adversely impacted by that image, then perhaps
that student should reconsider whether or not he belongs in a place of
higher education.
Even if the offensive image in the painting were as visible as its critics
claim, it would still not be reason enough to remove it from the walls.
If people are offended by images of the Klan, then that is a good thing.
The Klan promotes hatred on racial, ethnic and religious grounds and is
shunned by the vast majority of people. Evil is not supposed to be something
one can look at without negative feelings. Evil is supposed to be offensive.
Putting the artwork in a museum, as some have suggested, would completely
counteract that purpose. Confronting students with evil forces them to
face it, and perhaps consider what can be done to combat that evil. Hiding
the art in a museum will not accomplish that, as thousands of students
will not face the reality of a shameful historical fact on a daily basis.
By advocating that the art be removed from the walls to protect the delicate
sensibilities of a few students, advocates of censorship are actually
enabling racists and hate mongers. When the light of truth is shined on
racial hatred, then it can be exposed for the intellectually and morally
bankrupt fraud that it is.
Should whether something is offensive be the sole criteria for whether
it has a place at a public university? After the United States started
bombing Afghanistan in response to the September 11th terrorist attacks,
local anti-war activists set us a "peace camp" of several tents
in Indiana University's Dunn Meadow. If someone is offended by the anti-war
message the protesters are conveying, would the Black Student Union argue
that person has the right to demand that the University force the protesters
out and take the tents down? Would the BSU support a student who demanded
that nude statues on campus be removed or covered up because it offended
his sensibilities? Somehow, I doubt it.
The intent of the artist who produced the art was to provide an anti-Klan
message and to make sure that a chapter of evil in Indiana's history is
not forgotten. The intent of the murals is to remind students about the
sad historical fact of Klan activity in Indiana. But that does not matter
to the would-be censors. One student actually wrote in the Indiana Daily
Student, the student newspaper, "The University's mission is to educate,
and perhaps this controversial artwork is educational. But education shouldn't
come at the expense of someone's feelings."
If that is the case, then Indiana University should close its doors.
Part of education is being exposed to offensive or unpopular ideas, so
that one can properly analyze and deal with them. Education is not an
exercise of emotion; it is an exercise of intellect and reason. Controversial
issues and images will naturally stir emotions, but that should never
be a guiding factor in whether or not students are exposed to those things
in an educational context. 
Scott Tibbs is a regular contributor to Enter Stage Right and a graduate
of Indiana University.

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