Dear Editor:
Julianne Malveaux’s attack on the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (“The New McCarthyism,” Dec. 20, 2001) is little short of libelous. She characterizes our report, “Defending Civilization,” as advocating censorship and opposing free speech. In fact, the report says exactly the opposite. It says that academic freedom should be “passionately defended.”
Professors, like the rest of us, have a right to speak their minds. But when they say “Anyone who blows up the Pentagon has my vote,” “(The American flag) is a symbol of terrorism and death and fear and destruction and oppression,” or “The ultimate responsibility lies with the rulers of this country, the capitalist ruling class of this country,” we have a right to challenge them on it. Ms. Malveaux seems to believe that professors can bad-mouth America all they want, but nobody in America has a right to speak back. Sorry, but free speech is a two-way street.
Sincerely,
Jerry L. Martin, President
American Council of Trustees and Alumni
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