UNITED we stand, divided we fall. True enough, but unity need not be deaf and dumb. Freedom of thought has always been a part - a big part - of our concept of American freedom. We are American not because we all think and say the same thing, but precisely because we do not.
The recent crisis has prompted us all to be careful in what we say. And it should. There is no place for blatantly or implicitly racist comments. But then, there never has been. In examining what we say, we must look to be sensitive toward others, but we must also be careful not to suppress our opinions.
The right to dissent, and to express that dissent, is what sets America apart. Not all contrary statements are useful or even significant, but no one can decide which should be heard and which should not.
In a discussion following last month's terrorist attacks, "Politically Incorrect" host Bill Maher made comments that some deemed offensive. He stated that, "We have been the cowards, lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly" ("White House Reprimands Maher," Associated Press, Sept. 26). The comment resulted in an immediate backlash. Several advertisers on the late night talk show, including Sears, pulled their ads.
Then the White House got involved. Press secretary Ari Fleischer called the comments "terrible," stating that "this is not a time for remarks like that; there never is." Maher clarified his statements in a public statement, saying that he regretted how his opinion was perceived but not what he said. Maher says that his comment was not meant to call the United States military cowardly. The criticism was actually meant for politicians.
Following Maher's statement, Fleischer stood by his remarks and even equated Maher's comments to a phone call he received at the White House suggesting that all Muslims be rounded up.
Whether or not Maher's comment was offensive is debatable, and after all, the show is called "Politically Incorrect." If the American public finds Maher objectionable, he will be condemned in the proverbial court of public opinion on which his career depends. It is unnecessary and inappropriate for the White House to reprimand Maher for airing his opinions.
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It is preposterous to compare Maher's criticism of politicians - or even of the military, if that is how the comment was interpreted - to the wave of anti-Arab sentiment surfacing in this country. Rounding up an entire religious population would be wrong, not to mention illegal. Criticism of government and politicians, on the other hand, is the cornerstone of our political system. Fleischer is wrong. This is the time for Americans to look critically at what our representatives are doing; it always is.
Maher is not the only one who has been discouraged from voicing his opinion. The same happens much closer to where college students live, in the academic world.
One professor at California State University at Chico criticized U.S. foreign policy during a campus gathering to remember victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. Another professor, this one at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, raised questions about the competence of the Bush administration during class. Both professors were met with backlash from their schools. The problem lies not in the fact that many found these statements objectionable, but with how those concerns were handled.
In both cases, the administration was called on to get involved. In the case of Cal State, the university's president stood behind his professor's right to speak. At St. Olaf, the administration issued a request to faculty that they be careful about what they say.
There are a lot of raw nerves in the country now, and sensitivity is necessary. But being sensitive shouldn't mean crowding the freedom to express opinions. It's sad that the administration should be called on to censor its professors. This isn't its role - the classroom should be a place where students and professors can discuss their opinions, not tow the party line.
All Americans agree that the events of Sept. 11 were tragic. Not all Americans agree why they occurred or what should be done about them. In the wake of all that has happened, we are going to have to accept some changes in the way we live. Our right to have and share opinions cannot be one of them.
(Megan Moyer's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at mmoyer@cavalierdaily.com.)
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