Alumna: Violent Protests at Middlebury College should not Repress Free Speech

An alumna of Middlebury College, Jean Card, recently wrote an op-ed blasting the protesters for oppressing free speech during their violent protest of guest speaker Charles Murray:

First, discipline for the thugs – who flagrantly violated the college’s clearly stated code of conduct and committed acts of violence under Vermont state law – should be uncomplicated: Expose the full truth of who the organizers, leaders and the followers were. Fire the professors. Expel the students. Criminally prosecute those who assaulted Prof. Allison Stanger. And don’t worry about choosing the right words to condemn the aggressors. Let clear and decisive punishment speak for itself…

There are also signs that Middlebury will continue to promote and protect free speech after this incident has been adjudicated. More than one-fifth of the college faculty (currently 65 out of 305 full time positions) have chosen to make their pro-free-speech views clear and public, with a statement of principles regarding “free inquiry on campus” published in The Wall Street Journal this week.

If Patton and her colleagues stay true to their commitment to freedom of speech, they will infuriate many members of their own liberal academic community. They will likely experience an uptick in protests and possibly more violence. Some supporters may stop donating to the college. Some students may drop out; some parents may pull their students from the school.

Perhaps hardest of all, on a day-to-day basis, Patton and her colleagues will likely be subject to judgment and shaming for not being good enough liberals. I imagine this harassment is already happening.

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