Over the past week, there has been a slew of media coverage of the protest and surrounding events that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd in response to Charles Murray [CM] arriving on campus to give a lecture. There are many narratives circulating within campus networks as well as more broadly in the ...
Dear Editors: One does not have to agree with Charles Murray’s ideas, or even to be interested in hearing him speak, to be deeply disturbed by the efforts of Middlebury College students to silence him. The advantage of living in a liberal democracy is that it affords numerous ways in which to challenge ...
I wore a suit to protest Charles Murray. I now need to explain that choice, for the record, for anyone who thinks it's a neutral fashion statement, and more importantly for the friends whose trust I fractured with the decision. Background: AEI was hosting a dinner after the event during which people ...
The controversy centered on Mr. Murray’s talk last week taught me how exaggerated some protesters’ rhetoric can become when used to vilify their ideological opponents. In my opinion, part of their rhetoric is not only moralistic and unconstructive, but also inaccurate and hypocritical. Consider ...
Dear President Patton: I question the decision to offer the imprimatur of Middlebury’s forum to Mr. Murray. The College can do better than lend its stature to a man of such racism and bigotry. It can encourage intellectual diversity by offering courses and events which include among their teachings, ...
There’s little doubt that we are living in loud times. Many of us have an understandable wish to turn it down. Stop the sound, we think and maybe, somehow, we can find sanity in the ensuing silence. Still, it’s hard to describe my astonishment and that of other (mostly middle-aged) alumni in ...
Twenty years ago, I was a sophomore at Tehran Polytechnic. In addition to being one of the most prestigious universities in Iran, our campus was also known for its lively political and intellectual environment. The student organizations, on both the left and the right, were highly active — too active ...
Earlier last week, a letter made it to my inbox which I was asked to sign. In this letter, members of the faculty voiced their opposition to the idea that President Patton would introduce controversial speaker Dr. Charles Murray before his invited lecture on Thursday, March 2nd. Given the information ...
Dear President Patton, I am sorry to make your acquaintance in the wake of such ugliness at Middlebury. Obviously, the scope and the scale of the Honor Code violations that occurred at the American Enterprise Club event present a challenge to you and ultimately to Middlebury as a liberal arts institution. I ...
I acknowledge that my views may not sit well with some of my Middlebury peers. I also encourage everyone — whether or not you initially agree — to try to sit with this discomfort and question its origin. I showed up an hour before the talk ready to protest and express my disagreement with not only ...
We got played last week. That was a major point in Middlebury sociology professor Linus Owens’ poignant op-ed on last week’s events surrounding the Charles Murray visit. To Phi Hoxie ’17 and Alexander Khan ’17, the president and vice president of the American Enterprise Institute club: you guys ...
Dear Middlebury: Although I am not a Middlebury Alumnus, I have written a sufficient number of tuition checks to your institution to feel that I have earned the right to comment upon the recent student protest over Charles Murray's scheduled presentation. Stated briefly, your successful effort to ...
There are numerous reasons to want to challenge Murray’s ideas and research. Some believe that one of his books, The Bell Curve, is very offensive, as it shows that IQ scores and overall intelligence are based on some aspect of genetic superiority, classified by race and gender. In all honesty, I ...
I saw a handful of signs at the Murray protest that read “Working Class.” Of course, I can’t say with any certainty what the background of the people holding those signs is. They could very well be from the working class. However, given the socioeconomic reputation of Middlebury College, I’m ...
Our campus is divided and wounded. Our story has been co-opted by the national media, and we have become an example of a larger narrative. Our path forward is unclear. I’m struggling to find clarity surrounded by all of this noise. I think what scares me most is that we cannot all agree on how to ...
“What happened at your school?” This was the question I faced repeatedly from my family and friends in the days following the Charles Murray talk. The protesters seem to be happy at what they accomplished, but the overwhelmingly negative reaction to the chaos of this past Thursday comes not only ...
Debate, disagreement, criticism and controversy. These define the American experiment and our experience as citizens. We think, argue and act because we have always cared deeply about the state of our country and the future of the American project. This clash of ideas has shaped our history, and is ...
Dear President Patton, We the undersigned faculty respectfully request that you, as our president, cancel your introductory remarks at the Charles Murray event on Thursday. Mr. Murray is, as you know, a discredited ideologue paid by the American Enterprise Institute to promote public policies targeting ...
Before I begin, let me provide a statement of credibility: I voted for Bernie in the primary, I voted for Hillary in the election, and I have a “label GMO’s NOW!” sticker on my laptop—I am a card carrying liberal. I have to say this because I know that without such a shameful appeal to the Leftist ...
No one’s humanity is up for debate. By hosting a speaker whose ideas dehumanize many students on our campus and cause very real harm both here and across the nation, Middlebury is providing support for oppressive forces already at work on campus. Charles Murray has defended and supported white supremacy, ...