A Lesson in Free Expression

College campuses have long been the bastions of what we'd like to think America is all about. The free exchange of ideas between people from all walks of life, no matter what your social, sexual or political upbringing, is usually encouraged. You won't find that in corporate boardrooms, dinner tables, or in Washington these days.

So why is it that an institution of higher learning in Minnesota--the Catholic-based University of St. Thomas--chose to disinvite a world-renowned figure from speaking at their campus?

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his role in helping to end the system of apartheid in South Africa, was scheduled to speak at the St. Paul-based school in the spring of 2008. Then college administrators got wind of a speech Tutu made in 2002, in which he criticized the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories. Some pro-Israeli groups saw Tutu's comments as anti-Semitic, even though (according to City Pages) the archbishop did not blame the Jewish people in the speech.

We'll leave aside Middle East politics to those who are better versed on the subject. But what these groups seem to be saying is: Criticize Israel and you criticize the Jewish people. That's like saying we shouldn't criticize U.S. government policies, because then you offend the American people. The actions of both countries are not necessarily the opinion of the people they govern.

So, fearing protests--they went through this before, when conservative firebeand Ann Coulter came to town-- St. Thomas decided not to invite Tutu. Professor Cris Toffolo wrote a letter to the archbishop explaining the situation, then added her disagreement with the decision. That's why she is no longer chair of the Justice and Peace Studies department.

Maybe the administrators at St. Thomas didn't want a replay of what happened when Columbia University invited Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak during his recent visit to New York. Ahmadinejad, among other things, has denounced Israel, denied there was ever a Holocaust, and has been cagey about his country's nuclear program. Not only did Columbia's president Lee Bollinger attack his guest speaker in his introduction as a "petty and cruel dictator", but Ahmadinejad was booed and laughed at by the audience when he made claims such as when he said there were no gays in his country.

The Bush White House, for whom the Iranian president has long been a thorn in their side, tolerated the visit as an example of freedom of speech. That's interesting, coming from an administration who wouldn't tolerate any of it unless it's in front of a friendly audience.

What we're saying is this: If one university can invite a loose cannon of a world leader who doesn't hold real power over his own people (the mullahs run the show in Iran), certainly another university can invite someone who's had a positive impact on humanity--even if he has to watch what he says sometimes.

St. Thomas is currently reconsidering its decision not to invite Archbishop Tutu. If they stand by their original decision, the organization that invited Tutu has made arrangements for the speech to be moved to Metropolitan State University in Minneapolis. But it doesn't say much for college campuses--or anywhere else, for that matter--when a few people have the power to silence anyone who doesn't conform to their beliefs.