The co-presidents of the Middlebury College Republicans, the group that invited the 77-year-old social scientist to appear, announced the March 31 talk in an op-ed published Wednesday in the Middlebury Campus, the student newspaper.
“We’d like to make clear that we not only welcome but also encourage any and all constructive forms of support or opposition to this event,” students Dominic Aiello and Brendan Philbin wrote in the piece. “We are fervent supporters of the right to peacefully protest and look forward to receiving input from the community in the coming months.”
Murray’s last visit to Middlebury, on March 2, 2017, was disrupted by protests and eventually, violence. As he took the stage in Wilson Hall, students booed, rose and turned their backs to the stage before reading a statement in unison.
“Hey hey, ho ho, Charles Murray has got to go!” the students chanted. “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Charles Murray go away!”
He eventually relented and live-streamed his talk from a private room in the building. Later, a large group of people, some masked, attacked Murray as he left the McCullough Student Center with political science professor Allison Stanger and a college spokesperson.
In its op-ed Wednesday, the Middlebury College Republicans blamed the 2017 fracas in part on a lack of communication and community input ahead of Murray’s visit. His 1994 book, The Bell Curve, is viewed as racist by some for linking IQ and genetics to social inequality.
To deter a similar reaction, the student group said it began conversations about hosting Murray last September and decided to announce the lecture two months before it is scheduled. They’ve worked with the club adviser, former Vermont governor Jim Douglas, along with several members of the college administration and faculty.
The talk is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on March 31 at Wilson Hall, the site of Murray’s last Middlebury lecture.
In a written statement, the college confirmed Murray’s appearance to discuss his forthcoming book, Human Diversity: The Biology of Gender, Race, and Class.
“With each event, we are committed to providing a forum in which the Middlebury community can engage in a thoughtful, rigorous, and respectful manner,” the statement reads. “We also recognize the value of nonviolent public protest and demonstration and believe that activism that enables community members to publicly display their concerns, values, and aspirations is also a critical component of our commitment to open expression.”
It continues: “At no time should our protection of open expression — either by providing a forum or allowing nonviolent public demonstrations — be interpreted as approval or endorsement of the views expressed.”
Murray, an emeritus chair in cultural studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. He did tweet a link to the Middlebury Campus story about his appearance, writing, “Props to the students and administration for making this happen. Extending the invitation is admirable on many counts.”
The college Republicans noted that they “aren’t expecting everybody in the community to change their minds about Charles Murray.
“What we are expecting, however, is that he will be given the chance to speak that was denied to him in 2017 — and that you, as members of the Middlebury community, will be willing and prepared to hear what he has to say and engage diligently and respectfully with it,” the op-ed reads. “This gets to the heart of our goal with hosting this event: to engage the Middlebury community in a civil dialogue across vast ideological differences.”
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Things have gotten much more calm and reasonable since then; this should go fine.
Well we’ll see Justin . The left are very tolerant unless you disagree with them . Come to think of , same for the right . We are all so easily angered , disgusted and outraged today .
Richard – Why on earth should I be tolerant of someone with racist views?
This is an old Republican trope . . . bring in some quack like Murray, stir up trouble, then, when people protest , play the victim. Trump and his MAGA Hatters do it all the time, then wave their guns and flags and proclaim their “patriotism “. The Nazis did the same thing in the early 1930’s.
I’m surprised Trump hasn’t tried to make George Wallace’s birthday a national holiday.
I guess the local Trumpenvolk need some encouragement during these impeachment hearings.
Justin – I enjoy the sarcasm!
Northoldender – time to get the meds adjusted buddy.
…what could possibly go wrong….
Creationism is Evolution Denial
Equality is Evolution Denial
A_trout, one of the principles of our constitution is whether you agree with a person or not, whether their beliefs are good or not, they have the same rights as everyone else. If you cannot tolerate them then you do not have to go listen to them. The current times people seem to have the idea that if they disagree with another view they have the right to go to any extreme to point it out.
ConcernedVT, the Bill of Rights in the Constitution applies to the citizens and their government, so don’t bother bringing in the Constitution. It’s not applicable here. Middlebury College is a private institution. If it wants to be tolerant of and associated with racists, that’s it’s prerogative. Equally, it’s mine to point it out, to any length short of violence.
Rich ard wants people to be tolerant of racists for niceties.
You have every right to disagree. What you don’t has is the right to compel silence from those who hold views that disagree with your own. In the case of his last visit that is exactly what occurred; the fascist mob decided that since they didn’t like his views, he had no right speak them, and then used mob violence to compel his silence.
Will this be a debate? with the counterpoint being the entire audience……. Journalists please get Governor Douglas’s take on bringing Charles Murray back.
Patrick Cashman
Funny . Back in the 60’s , 70’s , we thought of the right as the fascists . Skip forward to today and I’m no longer sure who the most dogmatic , most sure of the truth and purity of their beliefs are . I do know the trouts of the world belong in this camp of intolerance . And yes I still believe in social niceties . A society that loses its civility becomes a place where extremism grows .
Trolling for the lulz. Can’t figure out what’s dumber, Middlebury inviting this clown show back to campus or the multitude of New Englanders calling other people racist. It’s all too hilarious. Y’all just go on embarrassing yourselves. We’ve got popcorn. Knowing Middlebury, this is about to get real boring real fast and will pass without any impact.