The president of Beloit College sent a university-wide email this afternoon encouraging students displeased with Vice President Dick Cheney’s invitation to speak on campus this evening to protest his lecture.
The event, hosted by Beloit Young Americans for Freedom tonight at 7 pm, has faced backlash from students shocked that their school would allow a differing viewpoint on the liberal campus.
The campus-wide email sent by President Scott Bierman and signed by Provost Eric Boynton and Dean of Students Cecil Youngblood claims that “many in our community have strong feelings at a foundational level with decisions Mr. Cheney has made from a variety of positions of power. Many also disagree with ethical positions he has taken and the underlying philosophy he holds that govern those.”
Bierman went on to encourage two potential courses of actions for students angry at Cheney’s invitation, which included attending the lecture and participating in the question and answer segment, and “protesting visibly in a way that does not interfere with the speaker’s ability to speak and the audience’s ability to hear and engage the speaker.”
NEW: Ahead of tonight’s @YAF lecture with Dick Cheney and @ScottWalker, Beloit College leadership sent a campus-wide email encouraging students to “hold this elected official accountable to his record,” and suggesting “protesting visibly” as a response. #YAFonCampus pic.twitter.com/uYd8RrVeEp
— Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) October 10, 2019
“People who attend tonight’s lecture have the right to hear Mr. Cheney if they want and the right to witness protests,” his email stated. “Both, not just one or the other. No subset of the community is given the authority to abridge these rights.”
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where the president of a college would encourage the student body to protest an esteemed, liberal government official. The fact that President Bierman is encouraging his coddled students to protest Vice President Cheney, rather than engage in a robust dialogue with someone they disagree with is asinine, and sadly representative of the state of higher academia today.
For additional information or to request an interview contact YAF spokesman Spencer Brown via sbrown@yaf.org or 800-872-1776.