David Horowitz: an unwelcome guest
Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: Editorial
Last update: 4/17/08 at 7:38 AM EST
Last update: 4/17/08 at 7:38 AM EST
Tonight's talk featuring author David Horowitz gives a stage for an inflammatory demagogue.
It will mark an encore appearance for Horowitz, who came to Page Auditorium in March 2006 with a speech sponsored by Students for Academic Freedom amid general hoopla and audience antics from his opponents and supporters.
Inviting Horowitz as a speaker so soon after his SAF-sponsored appearance signals a preference on the part of Duke Conservative Union for inciting belligerent dispute rather than encouraging intelligent discourse.
The two are not always mutually exclusive, but in this case, there seems to be little reason to expect a second dose of Horowitz to provide anything more substantial than the rather unconstructive first.
This is largely because Horowitz's approach is an indiscriminate, scattershot attack on the left. His proposed Academic Bill of Rights calls for professors to cleanse their lectures of politics or opinion-a dangerously restrictive and laughably impossible task for any professor in all but the most strictly science-based courses. His proposal, rather than protecting the rights of politically conservative students, would impoverish the curriculum of the nation's universities.
He seeks to severely curtail faculty freedom in the classroom, and his overblown, hyperbolic criticisms of certain ideas as "dangerous" are haphazard at best. Moreover, he espouses political views that can only be described as bigoted-his proposal to combat so-called "Islamofascism" is for Muslims to do away with chunks of the Quran. Where are his calls for Jews and Christians to do the same for offensive portions of their holy books?
Finally, Horowitz's motivations for coming to Duke are questionable. He seems to be making an appearance expressly to incite anger among students. Bridge-building across ideological divides is not at the top of his priority list, nor does it have to be.
But it's unclear what new insight, or insight at all, a repeat visit from Horowitz will contribute to sensible discourse when even the fliers announcing his arrival are big on shock value and small on substance.
It will mark an encore appearance for Horowitz, who came to Page Auditorium in March 2006 with a speech sponsored by Students for Academic Freedom amid general hoopla and audience antics from his opponents and supporters.
Inviting Horowitz as a speaker so soon after his SAF-sponsored appearance signals a preference on the part of Duke Conservative Union for inciting belligerent dispute rather than encouraging intelligent discourse.
The two are not always mutually exclusive, but in this case, there seems to be little reason to expect a second dose of Horowitz to provide anything more substantial than the rather unconstructive first.
This is largely because Horowitz's approach is an indiscriminate, scattershot attack on the left. His proposed Academic Bill of Rights calls for professors to cleanse their lectures of politics or opinion-a dangerously restrictive and laughably impossible task for any professor in all but the most strictly science-based courses. His proposal, rather than protecting the rights of politically conservative students, would impoverish the curriculum of the nation's universities.
He seeks to severely curtail faculty freedom in the classroom, and his overblown, hyperbolic criticisms of certain ideas as "dangerous" are haphazard at best. Moreover, he espouses political views that can only be described as bigoted-his proposal to combat so-called "Islamofascism" is for Muslims to do away with chunks of the Quran. Where are his calls for Jews and Christians to do the same for offensive portions of their holy books?
Finally, Horowitz's motivations for coming to Duke are questionable. He seems to be making an appearance expressly to incite anger among students. Bridge-building across ideological divides is not at the top of his priority list, nor does it have to be.
But it's unclear what new insight, or insight at all, a repeat visit from Horowitz will contribute to sensible discourse when even the fliers announcing his arrival are big on shock value and small on substance.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 26
Conservative
posted 4/17/08 @ 9:49 AM EST
Of course in typical Chronicle fashion you accuse the man of "indiscriminate, scattershot" attacks on the left without mentioning that among conservative commentators, he may be uniquely qualified to do so. (Continued…)
Conservative
posted 4/17/08 @ 10:32 AM EST
Touche, I suppose
Independent
posted 4/17/08 @ 10:46 AM EST
The Chronicle has lost its way. Sad.
BSME69
posted 4/17/08 @ 11:05 AM EST
March 2006 to March 2008 -- too soon to be re-inviting a speaker who obviously causes thoughtful analysis. It's just half of your undergraduate life (if you are in fact "on schedule"). (Continued…)
Elliott Wolf
posted 4/17/08 @ 11:37 AM EST
You do realize that he's just going take this editorial, wave it in front of everyone, and use it to prove his point......
Jamie Deal
posted 4/17/08 @ 12:09 PM EST
Thanks you for the free advertising.
Youssef Alloudi
posted 4/17/08 @ 12:31 PM EST
You have completely mischaracterized what Horowitz's Academic Freedom Bill proposes, why don't you do some research before writing your opinion pieces? I'm embarrassed that our "elite" school is deprived of a legitimate newspaper. (Continued…)
Old Alum
posted 4/17/08 @ 12:58 PM EST
This "editorial" just makes me roll my eyes and shake my head -- it exactly makes Horowitz's point.
haha
posted 4/17/08 @ 1:40 PM EST
Stripper performing sexual acts on stage at Page Auditorium...no problem!
David Horowitz speaks on campus...WORSE THAN DEATH ITSELF!!!
Common tactics
posted 4/17/08 @ 2:40 PM EST
Maybe this time Diane Nelson and her like-minded buddies will refrain from trying to disrupt the speech and silence Horowitz. But probably not. Anyone wonder where the Chinese students learned their tactics?
Post a Comment