Student Maintains That Having Horowitz Speak Promotes Ideas of Others

In the past couple of days, I have heard much controversy about bringing David Horowitz to campus.

I would like to take this opportunity to clear some things up.

First of all, Mr. Horowitz will be speaking about the anti-war movements on college campuses, more particularly UNC-Chapel Hill.

He will not be talking about reparations, which I know he is famous for.

Second, bringing a conservative speaker here at UNC does not mean racism or hatred.

We have every right to bring a conservative speaker like Mr. Horowitz on campus. This campus would have a richer, more diverse intellectual climate if we bring more conservative speakers to this campus.

Third, saying that Mr. Horowitz's visit will be "harmful and divisive" is far from the truth.

How is Mr. Horowitz's visit harmful? How is providing a speaker of different views harmful?

Also, when was the last time the university funded a conservative speaker? The University has brought many speakers from the left, yet when one conservative speaker comes to campus to speak on his/her ideas, they get shut down and labeled as a racist or bigot. Fred Hashagen and Michael Woods (in the Nov. 26 Daily Tar Heel) said that "though Congress acted within the bounds of the Student Code, it failed to uphold its most basic responsibility -- to hear the voices of all students." Well, I believe that Student Congress did uphold its responsibility in promoting diverse ideas on campus.

Mr. Hashagen and Mr. Woods want to promote their own diverse ideas, not the diverse ideas of other people, more particularly, David Horowitz.

If they want to promote diverse thought and issues on this campus, doesn't that include promoting the ideas of other groups even if you don't agree with them?

I am sorry Mr. Hashagen, but just because Student Congress didn't fund your request of having a paid position at the LGBT center doesn't mean that they didn't execute their responsibility of hearing the voices of all students.

Whether you agree with Mr. Horowitz or not, I encourage all students to come out Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. in Memorial Hall to listen to him speak.

Rheta R. Burton
Chairwoman
UNC-CH College Republicans