TO THE EDITOR:
As they always do in these situations, the UNC Young Democrats have demonstrated that they are experts at missing the point. Yes, there were certain liberal groups that did not receive an invite to the chancellor’s dinner, but what they fail to mention is that groups that do espouse liberal or progressive ideas were invited while not a single group espousing conservative or libertarian ideas was considered.
They also seemed to have missed the fact that intellectual diversity on campus is a foundational principle of the liberal arts education they claim to support, and therefore diverse ideological perspectives shouldn’t just be expected, they’re vital.
But let’s take a more broad approach to this. Even if the Young Democrats are not invited to a specific discussion, their views still get put forth. The UNC YDs could literally stop existing and the progressive vision would still be put forward on this campus. The same is not true for conservative groups.
In my years at UNC, I have heard from dozens of students that they feel a need to keep their heads down to protect their GPA and friendships.
And let’s not forget that an entire university institution, in the Campus Y, has devoted itself to supporting left-leaning students and giving them a place to have their voice heard. Others have no such resources.
Until we reach a point where all conservative students (not the same four or five who consistently get used as the token opposition today) feel they are safe to freely exchange ideas and viewpoints, not only have we done a disservice to students, but we don’t even have the liberal arts education that the left so hypocritically defends.
Peter McClelland
Chair Emeritus, UNC College Republicans
