When I saw the pro-Palestine protest on Friday, April 12 around the John Carroll statue, I thought it was great. I was impressed that our campus, often quiet, even passive in comparison to other universities, was making a statement and that it wasn’t the same annoying GLBT charade for the third or fourth weekend in a row. I understand that some students found the protest to be unpleasant and even worried that it created divisions in an already fragmented student body. Frankly, I think that’s an irrelevant concern. As Hoyas, we may share a university, but we aren’t required to see eye to eye. I think, and I would hope, that most people would agree (although it’s certainly your right to disagree) that these opposing ideas and opinions only make our university stronger.
My initial impression of the protest, however, was spoiled upon learning that the demonstrators were protesting not just Israel’s military campaign in Palestine (yes, that was part of it), but the University’s decision to allow four pro-Israel speakers to visit campus (“Students, faculty protest speaker,” April 18). First and foremost, I thought this went without saying, but it apparently does not: Just because the University invites a speaker does not imply the University shares the position of that speaker. Instead, it merely allows itself to be used as a forum for discourse. Furthermore, I would like to specifically refer to a quote by Professor Mark Lance in which he said, “The University should not prohibit groups from bringing people onto campus. Student groups should be able to bring anyone, but student groups should not bring individuals on campus who are going to defend war criminals.” Professor Lance’s logic doesn’t make any sense. Does anyone else see the hypocrisy of this statement? Students should be given the freedom to invite any and all speakers, from crass, over-paid musical icons to actual “war criminals.” This is a form of freedom of expression. The same right that allowed Georgetown Israel Alliance to invite Aviva Raz-Schechter and others allowed the Young Arab Leadership Alliance and others to protest on that very same Friday.
Protest Israel. Protest American support for Israel. Protest a speaker’s stance on support for Israel. But don’t protest the University’s right to invite that speaker.
Julia Broggi (CAS ‘03)
