I consider myself a liberal. In many ways I'm proud to call myself such.
What makes it most difficult, however, to be a proud liberal is the fact that so many liberals seem entirely incapable of deciphering which fights are worth fighting. The cause of Laura Whitehorn is one that should not be taken up by anyone. Regardless of the definitions Whitehorn and her apologists try to put forth, she is a terrorist, and this word should not have appeared in quotation marks in The Chronicle's headline. An act of terrorism is one that is meant to inspire fear and intimidate others into accepting a certain point of view. Whitehorn's bombing of the U.S. Capitol certainly fits this definition.
Furthermore, this is not, as Visiting Professor Becky Thompson and University spokesperson David Jarmul claim, a "free speech issue." No one is claiming that individuals should not be allowed to criticize U.S. foreign policy or even to advocate acts of terrorism such as bombing the U.S. Capitol. Protesting the University paying a woman who actually did commit such an act of terrorism is not an exercise in the suppression of free speech, but rather an exercise in common sense.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.