“William & Mary has a powerful commitment to the free play of ideas. We have a campus where respectful dialogue, especially in disagreement, is encouraged so that we can listen and learn from views that differ from our own, so that we can freely express our own views, and so that debate can occur. Unfortunately, that type of exchange was unable to take place Wednesday night when an event to discuss a very important matter – the meaning of the First Amendment — could not be held as planned.
Silencing certain voices in order to advance the cause of others is not acceptable in our community. This stifles debate and prevents those who’ve come to hear a speaker, our students in particular, from asking questions, often hard questions, and from engaging in debate where the strength of ideas, not the power of shouting, is the currency. William & Mary must be a campus that welcomes difficult conversations, honest debate and civil dialogue. ”
Response From The Public
The public’s response to the aforementioned incident is quite diverse. Some people agreed with Black Lives Matter’s actions, while others thought interrupting the event was inappropriate.
Gabrielle Seunagal is a full-time freelance writer and voice actor, working with USA Herald since June 2017. She is passionate about fitness, travel, and combating human rights abuses like human trafficking and child marriage.
