This post was written by Hatchet reporter Cat Barnao.
Political activist Cornel West fiercely defended free speech Thursday, imploring students to “have the courage to be critical” when looking at the nation’s challenges.
As the keynote speaker for the Democracy and Public Argument conference, West commended the Occupy Movement for launching a national conversation about economic inequality.
“I find the Occupy movement at its best to be sublime,” West, an early supporter of the movement, said. “They have the courage to lift their voice as everyday people.”
Individuals who voice their grievances, he said, strengthen democracy by checking the control of those in power.
“There’s people in this country that hate our dear brother,” the author and television host said about Americans who criticize President Barack Obama. “I hate that hatred. And I defend it.”
West said the principles and visions of outspoken individuals help preserve the freedom for all citizens of that country.
“These are not simply moralistic clichés—that have everything to do with the raw stuff of what keeps democracies going, allow for democracies to emerge and sustains them over time,” he said.
The three-day conference was hosted by the University Writing Program and The Freemasons of Washington, D.C.
During the question and answer session following the speech in the Smith Center, a man was pulled out of the event by University police officers. Officers at the event declined on comment. A University spokeswoman did not immediately return a request for comment.
Kevin Mack, a first year student in the Graduate School of Political Management, said West’s message was unimpeded political dialogue.
“We don’t argue enough in this society,” Mack said. “Being told to ‘shh’ because you don’t agree with somebody else’s opinions is wrong.”
Earlier this week, a alumna blogged on CampusReform.org, blasting the University for bringing a “radical Socialist” to campus. Brittney Morrett, a 2011 graduate, charged the University’s with disregard for “ideological diversity” in being a frequent host to liberal speakers.
Morrett alleged that the University ‘s failure to host a wider range of speakers “leads to a degree of alienation, detracts from a cohesive student culture, and dilutes the political conversation on campus.”
Derek Malone-France, interim executive director of the University Writing Program, said the selection of West was not a conscious political decision.
“Our only criteria were that the speaker should be someone who combined both scholarly learning and a high public profile and that she or he could speak meaningfully to the theme of ‘Democracy and Public Argument,’” Malone-France said.
