David Horowitz visits UNC, decries state of American university

 A radical leftist turned conservative, David Horowitz’s story is anything but ordinary.

A left-wing activist during his time at Columbia University as an undergraduate and at University of California-Berkeley in the 1960s, Horowitz’s political opinions have since changed. He is now a noted conservative who has published many works.

He is known for attempting to run ads in college newspapers opposing slavery reparations and promoting "Islamo-Facism Awareness Week."

Horowitz came to campus Monday night to discuss the importance of encouraging academic environments that promote democracy through diversity of thought.

“You can’t get a good education if you’re only telling half the story,” he said.

The event was sponsored by the conservative student publication Carolina Review, although it was not paid for with student fees. About 50 students attended the event.

Horowitz said he thinks UNC’s liberal campus reflects the typical college atmosphere, where the freedom of ideas and discussion is not encouraged.

He said he thinks most campuses are overrun with liberal faculty members, who discourage conservative thought among students.

“How is it possible that the faculties can be conservative-free?” he asked. “If you open your mouth and reveal you’re a conservative, you better be ready to defend yourself.”

Approximately 10 police officers were in attendance at Monday’s speech. Randy Young, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety, said the security presence was consistent with that provided for any notable speaker visiting campus.

“The police presence will be appropriate to the task of maintaining a civil discourse,” Young said.

The speech encountered no protests, although several conservative speakers on campus have faced opposition in the past.

Horowitz noted the security presence at the event, noting the degree to which conservatives face harassment on college campuses.

“It’s a disgrace that we have to have security at a public university,” he said. “Students should be taught how to think, and not what to think."

Horowitz discussed what he perceived as the downfalls of having an overwhelmingly liberal faculty and student body.

“The intellectual level in liberal arts has never been so low in a hundred years because we’ve purged faculty of conservatives,” he said.

Freshman Chase McDonough said he enjoyed the speech, although he was surprised by Horowitz’s comments.

“He was less radical than I expected,” he said.



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.