Protesters weakened their own right to free speech

TO THE EDITOR:

The protesters who forcefully disrupted Tuesday's Youth for Western Civilization meeting did a disservice to the very aims they were claiming to advance.

Make no mistake — Youth for Western Civilization takes xenophobia wraps it up in a nice new package and asks us to think it is something different. And it's not.

But no one got to know that because some of the protesters prevented any of us from listening to or engaging with former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo R-Colo.

Free speech rights are indivisible; if we weaken free speech rights for one group we weaken free speech rights for us all.

When destructive ideas are presented we have to allow them to be voiced.

We're also allowed to call them out for being wrong but we must do so peacefully.

And many of us did by silently protesting in Bingham Hall or dancing loudly at the Dance Party for Diversity in the Pit.

Diversity and multiculturalism aren't toxic to our civilization they are the very foundation of its strength. They lead to creativity innovation and progress for us all. Youth for Western Civilization is easy to discredit on its merits.

But in forcefully silencing Tancredo the protesters only discredited themselves.



Charlie Sellew

Co-President

UNC Young Democrat