What is St. Thomas afraid of?

Posted at 2:34 PM on October 4, 2007 by Bob Collins (1 Comments)

A week or so ago, when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University, over many protests, those who remain faithful to the concepts of the U.S. Constitution noted that an appearance like his could never happen in Iran. Iran is not a place where unpopular beliefs can be amplified so that individuals can reach their own conclusions.

Apparently, we can now add St. Paul, Minnesota to that list. Bishop Desmond Tutu has been disinvited from speaking at the University of St. Thomas because of fears his views would offend the Jewish community.

At the same time, in the current campaign cycle, politicians are afraid to voice an opinion, for fear of the backlash that may result. So they become silent, and offer palatable mush. But do their opinions go away? Are they less dangerous when hidden?

Are we better off hearing -- and in the process challenging, if need be -- unpopular opinions? Or should we muzzle the unpopular opinion, and take our chances? Some might argue -- as some have -- that the fear of being labeled "unpatriotic" forced many politicians not to ask enough questions prior to the war in Iraq.

Is it possible to value intellectual inquiry and punish the unpopular opinion at the same time?

Is it possible to even debate this situation without offense? Let's find out.

Comments (1)

MNSpeak is all over this today....
http://www.mnspeak.com/mnspeak/archive/post-3996.cfm

Posted by Joe | October 4, 2007 3:24 PM

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