Students For Academic Freedom

Look out, Madison- the once deathly silent conservative population is breaking that silence. · 10 June 2003

By Roberta Leguizamon

For decades, the faculty and student body of the University of Wisconsin in Madison has been one of the cornerstones of campus liberalism. Some of the most memorable moments in the anti-war movement during Vietnam occurred its soil. "Conservative" was a dirty word, and "Republican" was akin to "Racist Bigot." The voice of socialism was unsullied by the evil, selfish and heartless right. For Leftists around the world, the University of Wisconsin-Madison was Paradise.

Not anymore.

Much to the dismay of the predominantly liberal faculty and student body, conservatives are beginning to make their presence known. Incidents of free speech are becoming more common in classrooms, rallies and newspapers. While it's clear that Liberalism still has a stronghold in Madison, the walls have been breached.

How did this happen?

Three campus newspapers, The Spectator, The Badger Herald and The Daily Cardinal have run articles rabidly opposing the war in Iraq, condemning Bush as a tyrant in search of oil and defense contracts. Other editorials accusing Israel of stealing Palestinian culture and blaming Israel for the rampant terrorism in the Middle East have appeared in each paper.

The International Socialist Organization is one of the most vocal and active groups on campus. In the last three months they have helped organize and participate in anti-war marches, teach-ins, and other forums denouncing the war in Iraq as a war of aggression and quest for oil.

The faculty is a hotbed of liberal elites as well. In recent months several media outlets have featured articles and editorials from several well-known UW-Madison professors, offering up leftist ideals and criticism regarding foreign policy, taxes, education and even fast food in Japan.

On March 13, 2003, Political Science Professor Michael Barnett told the Baltimore Sun, "The world's remaining superpower refuses to play by international rules, broadcasts that it has adopted a policy of 'pre-emption' -- a willingness to wage war against countries that it believes might do it harm in the future -- and dreams aloud of remaking countries and regions in its own image."

The Times Educational Supplement cited education professor Gloria Ladson-Billings's comments at the American Educational Research Association conference in New Orleans when she criticized the movement to improve education through privatization. "Have we now decided that it makes no sense to maintain entire groups of students in sub-standard schooling just because of their race, ethnicity, language or socioeconomic status? Have we realized the paradox of asserting that when airport security doesn't work we must federalize, but when our schools don't work we want to privatize them?" she asked.

Sociology Professor Erik Olin Wright has made statements opposing tax cuts on NPR's "Morning Edition." Political Science Professor Kenneth Goldstein has supported campaign finance reform concerning soft money issues in the London Times. Law Professor Michael E. Smith suggested to the New York Times that DNA should be taken from every American at birth to help deter crime, despite the enormous violation of privacy that would entail. Anthropology Professor Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney even told the San Antonio Express that McDonalds and other exported fatty foods are to blame for increasing waistlines among Japanese citizens. There are many more examples.

Even looking through the course catalogue may give you an idea of how deeply liberalism is rooted in UW-Madison. In the past, the university has offered courses such as "Green Politics: Global Experience, American Prospects," "Marxism and the Black Experience" and "Daytime Serials: Family and Social Roles."

Leftist courses, statements and rallies have been unfettered, and even encouraged on the campus of the university, which holds up such incidents as prime examples of free speech. Yet, with a faculty speech code that made "unprotected expressive behavior subject to discipline" This meant that the faculty was unable to use any words or terms that could be considered politically incorrect in their classrooms or any other university-sponsored events or they risked being censured or worse. Speech was anything but free at UW-Madison.

Then, in 1998, something surprising happened- small group of faculty members of the university joined together to speak out against the speech code. After debating the measure for a year and a half, it was abolished in 1999. In addition, Professor Donald Downs said a group of faculty activists convinced then-acting chancellor John Wiley to end a program that allowed anonymous complaints.

Two years later the political atmosphere of UW-Madison was rocked by what is now termed "The Horowitz Controversy" On Feb. 28, 2001, when Herald decided to publish David Horowitz's article against reparations for slavery in the US, about 100 students took to the steps of the Herald, screaming racism and demanding the resignation of it's editor, Julie Bosman. But no apology was forthcoming, nor were any resignations. And things haven't been the same on campus since.

In a letter written in the Herald in 2002 by editor Alexander Conant one year after the Horowitz Controversy, Conant credited the incident with making the paper "better than ever before." Conant also stated that many of the students who had protested the advertisement are now regular contributors to the editorial page.

Other evidence of a broadening conservative ideology at UW-Madison appears in an article from The Daily Cardinal on May 7, 2003. Danielle Szulczewski wrote the enthusiasm of activism on UW-Madison's campus is waning. "Offices of campus activist groups are more often closed than open. Protests for peace, which had began [sic] in earnest after Sept. 11, are few and far between only nine months later, in a community whose aging activist body prided themselves on beginning the rallies for peace in the '60s,î she said.

Even Horowitz received a civil, if not particularly friendly, reception when he visited the university in December of 2001. The next day, in an article headed "Horowitz visit proves UW's free-speech maturity,î the editors at Herald proclaimed, "With flying colors, UW-Madison passed last night's First Amendment test"

The leftists at the university were further dismayed by the April 29, 2003 appearance of Daniel Pipes, whose controversial statements regarding fundamental Islam have garnered criticism from liberals across the country. The activists protested, but still Pipes was given the floor, and over 1000 people attended the event.

Ironically, evidence that the left is worried in Madison comes from recent action taken by members of the Multicultural Student Coalition. According to Michelle Orris in the April 29 edition of the Herald, "University of Wisconsin student volunteers are piecing together an alternative student news source on rented laptops at Helen C. White, motivated by what they say is their paper's magnification of less-heard voices and its emphasis on the community's connection to national news"

Observer founders, Orris wrote, are dissatisfied with the coverage of a Books Not Bombs rally in March and other protests. "The first Madison Observer edition ran April 17 with a philosophical analysis of today's media on the front page along with student poetry. The Observer's writers have covered a range of topics, including the Lisa Link Peace Park renovations, the history of U.S. intervention in Iraq, the proposed campus power plant and the Patriot Act,î Orris wrote.

Perhaps the most promising sign of hope for free speech at the UW-Madison comes from Chancellor Wiley himself. During the war against Iraq, Wiley was pressured to make a statement concerning the University's stance during the war. The faculty senate followed his lead, voting down a resolution opposing the war by a vote of 58-41. Wiley said this: "I support unambiguously the right of individuals to express their personal and political views on the premises of UW-Madison, as long as the manner of that expression does not impede the rights of others to live, work and study. Open debate, particularly about matters of great societal concern - like war - has long been a hallmark of this campus. This is a place where free expression and differences of opinion matter,î Wiley said.

Other universities haven't had such qualms with passing anti-war resolutions, despite conservative-minded faculty, staff and students that may attend their institutions. The faculty senates of several universities, including the University of Massachusetts, Mt. Holyoke, Hampshire College, Williams College and San Francisco State University passed resolutions against war in Iraq, as have the student governments of the University of Texas and the University of Michigan.

"I welcome all voices and opinions, and encourage others to do likewise,î he added. "«I have no right to suggest publicly that everyone associated with this university has a single viewpoint. We are a community with many voices, and I will not discourage debate or free expression by any action that would suggest that there is a fundamental inequality in the value of some of those voices as opposed to others,î Wiley said. Coming from the top man himself, it appears there's a new hope for diversity of ideology at UW-Madison.

(Roberta Leguizamon has a bachelor's degree in Journalism from Ohio University and is presently a freelance writer and stay-at-home mom.)

—