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The First Amendment right to freedom of speech is one of our most important values as Americans. This right is what two Furman students cited when asked to step back from the front steps of McAlister Auditorium before the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s address on Wednesday night. Representing a controversial conservative student group on campus, the two students arrived early to the Cultural Life Program to pass out a replica of the official Furman University event program. Their program, however, did not contain the introductory material on Jackson included in the official programs handed out by student ushers at the doors to the auditorium. Instead, these unsanctioned programs had a clear and coercive political agenda. The first line of the program read, “Reverend Jesse Jackson has been stirring up division in the United States since the 1970’s.” The program ended with a sarcastic thanks to “all the liberal academics at Furman University who helped bring the divisive views of Rev. Jesse Jackson to our campus.”
Jackson’s speech focused on tearing down societal walls to unite our nation. In his address and in the following question and answer period, Jackson did discuss and articulate his position on a number of sensitive political topics. This did not seem to be a problem, however, as the application of freedom of speech is common and encouraged on campus. The real problem during the event was that many people in the auditorium had only received the unofficial event program. Many members of the Greenville community who received the unofficial version were appalled that Furman had invited Jackson to campus only to distribute inflammatory program guides.
Our hope was restored when we saw that many Furman students were sorting through the crowd, replacing the controversial programs with those created by the university. Among these students were members of both the College Republicans and College Democrats.
There is an important difference between spreading one’s ideas on campus and acting in a disrespectful and disruptive manner. Civil discourse is a value often forgotten in today’s political climate. As two students with opposing political views, we recognize the importance of stepping across the aisle and listening to views that may be very different from our own. We both recognize civil, honest, and constructive discourse as an important value for the Furman community, and together argue that this instance represents an appalling abridgment of that value. Exercising one’s First Amendment rights is fine. Blatant disrespect for an established public figure and a guest to our campus is not.
