Issue date: 5/9/07 Section: Opinion

RE: Free Speech at CSUS

Dear Editor,

On Thursday, April 24th, the Sacramento State College Republicans hosted Ward Connerly as a guest speaker during their regular general meeting. Ward Connerly, a former UC regent, Sacramento State alumni, and former ASI student body president, has become controversial in California in recent years because of his views on race. He believes that the government should not treat citizens different on account of race, whether that be through discrimination, or elevation, such as affirmative action programs.

What was meant to be a civil meeting, which a speech by Mr. Connerly followed by a short question and answer period by the members of the club, turned into a chaotic scene due to the presence of angry protestors. The campus community needs to be made aware of the audacity of the protestors, as well as the blatant disregard of the right to free speech on this campus by their group.

The purpose of this letter is not to say who is right and who is wrong in the issues addressed by Mr. Connerly, but rather, to address the conduct of a group of Sacramento State students. It is a wonderful thing that widespread free speech and healthy political debate is prevalent in this country. By default, citizens in this country know they can indulge in free speech practices, even if they might conflict with the ideas of someone else. That's our way of life, coming directly from the U.S. Constitution.

Before the meeting started, a large group of protestors marched in front of the meeting room in the University Union and chanted slogans such as "Hey hey, ho ho, Ward Connerly has got to go" and "terminate the meeting!" Many held up billboards with inflammatory messages. They banged on the walls with force in an effort to disrupt the meeting. With consultation from student activities, the club learned that since the meetings were advertised as welcome to willing students on their website, the student protestors had the right to enter the meeting. When the meeting started the protesters engulfed the room with their large crowd, chants, and slogans, obviously refusing to sit down and let the College Republicans have a civil meeting. They marched in straight to the guest speaker, and began to verbally attack him not even four feet where he was standing. During the initial protest argument to ward, they once again began to chant "terminate the meeting!"

Repeated requests by the College Republican President for the protesting crowd to have a seat and engage in civil discourse where ignored. Ward, not being intimidated by the crowd, began his speech to the group regardless. The protesting students treated the guest speaker in a despicable uncivilized fashion. They cut him off when we was talking, shouted inflammatory comments to him when he responded to questions in a manner the crowd didn't agree with, and used several profane words, such as the "F" word, while addressing this distinguished Sacramento State Alumni. Members of the College Republicans were told to "shut up" by the crowd in one instance.

If this group of students thinks they can march around and "terminate" any meeting on campus simply because they do not agree with an issue, then they are gravely mistaken. Last time I checked, this campus was located in the United States, not in freedom-of-speech deprived North Korea, though the actions of the student protestors would have you believe we were there.

In light of this recent hijacking of the College Republicans general meeting by student protestors, I call upon Student Activities officials, University Union Officials, and members of the Administration to make efforts to prevent this sort of occurrence again. Student clubs/organizations should not be afraid to host a guest speaker lest they be totally disrespected by a group of students with opposing viewpoints, and ruin the meeting with attempts to "terminate the meeting."

-Ryan Christensen

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