 "Photo: N/A")
On Wednesday night, Don Feder’s Republican Club-sponsored speech on hate crimes was abruptly cancelled due to a high level of disruption by student protestors.
“Feder refused to speak anymore,” said
In response to the event’s cancellation, many UMass students – and even alumni – have commented on Dailycollegian.com: Some speak with anger at Feder’s views, others with a defiant belief in some of the points he made. But more than anything else, most have commented with disgust that none of these views were able to be explored at a deeper level because those who disagreed with Feder disrupted the event to such an extent that he no longer wished to speak to his audience.
It is difficult to discern the goal of the protestors – whether it was indeed to stop Feder from speaking or to simply voice their opposition to his views. If it was to prevent his speech from occurring, then they certainly succeeded. But to attempt to stop another person from voicing his opinion is treading on very dangerous ground. If the tables were turned and another group had hosted a very liberal speaker, would it then be acceptable for the Republican Club to shout out at him disrespectfully and to abruptly turn their chairs around in the middle of his speech, too?
The key issue – more than what the legalities of a hate crime may be, or whether you support them or not, or whatever you may believe – is the importance of remaining tolerant and respectful of all people, no matter how different their views are from your own.
As one student commenting on the site, who refers to himself as Ed, said, “For what it is worth, I have friends … all of whom I consider to be individuals, and no, they don’t always agree with me on every political issue. In fact, some of my closest friends are to the left of the mainstream. I think they are wrong, and they I, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t respect them as persons.”
In a world of varied religions, cultures and ideologies, no two people will ever see entirely eye to eye on everything. For many students, college is just the place to learn another point of view, explore new and abstract philosophies and challenge one’s own beliefs so that they are ultimately reinforced or reassessed.
“What happened at this speech was a crime against the intellectual discourse that is supposed to take place at universities across the country. UMass should be a sanctuary of higher education, and an integral part of ‘higher education’ is framing a debate in a way that facilitates dialogue,” said Brett, another commenter on the Dailycollegian.com article.
A college environment is often ripe with controversy. There will always be protests; there will always be speeches and there will always be those who disagree. The most intelligent of students are those who are mature enough to let those who see things differently speak, learn from their different perspectives and interpret it as they choose.
In an interview with The Collegian following the event, Collins added that he had no problem with protestors attending the event, as long as they did not infringe upon Feder’s right to speak. He added that the Republican Club had planned to include a question and answer period after the event, in which students would have had the opportunity to ask Feder anything they wished about his speech and his views.
As I scroll through these different online comments, it becomes quite apparent that many students on campus do have mature and respectful viewpoints, and they do have much to say on both sides about what defines a hate crime and what constitutes free speech. The real shame, more so than anything else I mention here, is that none of these thoughtful and intelligent views were able to be discussed at Wednesday night’s event.
Lisa DeBenedictis is a Collegian columnist. She can be reached at ldebenedictis@dailycollegian.com.
2. I think he is a poor writer who writes as if he is rather lecturing, or screaming at someone, rather than trying to communicate an idea to them.
3. I think that the protesters at the rally were largely idiots who were less after an actual ideology and more after the idea of having something to protest, who did more damage to free speech than Don Feder, who was not advocating hate crimes, who was simply an idiot.
4. Before the meeting started and the protesters were organizing, I went down to get one of their ambiguous "hate" (with a line through it) buttons to wear. One of the girls there must have recognized me and said to the person handing them out "Oh, dont give one to him. He doesnt want one." in a tone connotating that because she recognized my as a republican that I was some sort of hate machine. I was polite and kind, she was an ignorant dick. Who would have held more hate in this situation? (I kept the button on all night, even when speaking to Feder).
5. I went to the Socialist club's meeting the next night with the marxist professor. There were about 30 people there, and no protesters. It was largely a circle jerk with the kids lapping up the insults the professor was making about conservatives and republicans, but I didn't vocalize during his speaking, and I left after feeling the whole thing having been quite comically silly. The man described the republican club as a bunch of burly young men. I weigh less than most of the female protestors that attended that meeting. This is a clear and utter discrediting of his worth in judging these issues. This illustrated the difference between liberal and conservative activists on campus, conservatives dont waste their time on pointless drivel like these inflammatory fools.
It seems to me that you are the evil and the good men were trying to do something. Who are you to say you are the only one right and everyone else is wrong? I seriously doubt the folks on the rigth are preaching racism. As far as homphobia, what exactly is that? People have legititmate problems with the mainstreaming of homosexuality and that doesn't constitute "homophobia" . A phobia is an irrational fear, I don't think they're afraid of homosexuals, they just don't feel they should be celebrated for their perversions. Your right to free speech ends when it infringes on my right to free speech and the people protesting in that auditorium should have been physically removed. The Jim Crow south was perpetrated by the Democrat party and the National Socialists were about as far left as you can get on the spectrum. So before you think you're intelligent, you better get an education instead of spouting off what your leftist friends have twisted up for you.
-Benjamin Franklin "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
-Benjamin Franklin "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
-Benjamin Franklin
you are a credit to humanity. You give me hope that my child's education at UMASS Amherst is not wasted.
Thankyou
I
I
V