I recently received a letter from my alma mater, University of California, Berkeley, commemorating the five-year anniversary of my graduation. Like nearly all letters of its kind, this one contained a donation solicitation at the end.
“Your support ensures Cal’s continued winning streak on the field, in the laboratory, and in the classroom,” the letter concluded. “Together, we will help change the world for the better.”
Although I’m a young professional of modest means, I must confess that my collegiate nostalgia nearly tempted me to join the university’s monthly $10 donation program.
Then last night happened.
On Wednesday night, the Berkeley College Republicans were scheduled to host right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos in the last talk of his “Dangerous Faggot Tour.” Milo is undoubtedly a controversial speaker, but the beautiful thing about our country is that almost every idea is protected by the First Amendment — a proud legacy that has lead to so much social progress.
Unfortunately, free speech doesn’t seem to be welcome at Berkeley anymore. Rioters violently stormed Sproul Plaza, the central quad of campus, smashing windows and starting a fire. A young Milo supporter was pepper-sprayed while giving an interview to ABC News. A Starbucks was looted. Rioters surrounded cars, causing one to plow through the crowd.
The talk was cancelled in response to the mayhem, a true tragedy for a place that, ironically, is home to the Free Speech Movement. In the 1960s, Berkeley students caught national attention for defending the First Amendment in the face of an illiberal administration. In 2017, they caught national attention for destroying the First Amendment at a public university that prides itself as a model for the world.
Re-reading the letter I received from Berkeley this morning, the writing takes on a different meaning for me now. “Most likely, Cal was a significant chapter in your story,” the letter claims, “a time when new paths were revealed and your understanding of the world deepened.”
That certainly was true for me. A natural rabble-rouser, I had the chutzpah to start a libertarian club at one of the most notoriously liberal universities in the nation. But, not everyone is comfortable as a student leader.
Today, I worry about what the average libertarian or conservative student at Cal is thinking after last night. Perhaps his or her “understanding of the world” has “deepened,” but certainly no “new paths were revealed.” Rather, the student has learned the sad truth that the radical Left does not tolerate dissenting opinions and that his or her worldview is not welcome on campus.
Perhaps that student will stay quiet on campus now, concerned that their peers will out them as a thought criminal. Or, worse, perhaps the student is worried about grade discrimination because they attend class with one of the dozens of professors who called for Milo’s censorship. I had class with three of those professors.
Rather than exposing students to new ideas, Berkeley sent a clear message last night: Any deviation from a narrow liberal orthodoxy will be punished.
For this gross betrayal of its rich history, this alumnus will not be donating to his alma mater anytime soon.
Casey Given (@CaseyJGiven) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is the executive director of Young Voices.
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