Recently, a self-proclaimed white nationalist, Jared Taylor, was scheduled to speak Thursday evening, April 19, 2018, on the campus of The University of Alabama. Taylor had been invited to speak by a student group, Students for America First, which at the time of the invitation was a bona-fide registered student group at the university. Clearly, the invitation was not sanctioned by the administration of the university and the president of the university, Stuart Bell, issued a statement denouncing the message that Taylor espouses. Having listened to several interviews that have been held with Mr. Taylor, it is quite evident that he believes that whites are superior to other racial, and ethnic groups. He also denounces the practice of diversity and has proclaimed that the United States belongs to whites, and that the inclusion of other groups has undermined the very fabric of the country. It was whites from Europe who came to America to form their own country and government, and this has been eroded by the inclusion of others. The speech that he was to give at Alabama was titled, “Diversity: Is it Good for America?”
As noted, Jared Taylor was invited by a registered student group and at the time the invitation was extended, the student group met the requirements established by the university. One of the criteria to be a registered group is that there must be a faculty or staff advisor. They had such an advisor when Taylor was invited. Interestingly, the week prior to the scheduled address, the advisor resigned the position. What is interesting is that the advisor knew an invitation had been extended some time prior to the week before the scheduled speech but did not resign at that time. Was the resignation “encouraged” by university officials? Was the resignation of the advisor a roundabout effort that led to the cancellation of the event? As the university president stated, the university must comply with the law that provides for the opportunity for individuals and groups to express what they have to say and what they stand for and represent. Was the law compromised by action that led to the advisor’s resignation?
Diversity includes a multitude of differences whether those differences are racial, ethnic, religious, philosophical, political, etc. To censor what individuals can and cannot say or represent may well lead to a very slippery slope. Whether such censorship is overt or covert, it is wrong. About the event in question, there was a great deal of angst focused on Mr. Taylor coming to the university, and it might well have led to some problematic activities by those in opposition. Other universities have experienced such reactions. However, to “shout-down” those with whom we do not agree does not bode well for the whole of the university community. Do remember that one of the hallmarks of higher education is the principle of academic freedom. The very reason that we have this principle engrained in the fabric of higher education is to protect the right to espouse unpopular positions and philosophies. If it was Jared Taylor this time who and what will it be next time?