Evangelist's free speech must be defended

November 5, 2007 —

GROWING PAINS -

SVSU is growing up. Most major campuses across the nation are quite used to having a religious doomsayer waving around a Bible or some other religious text. Michael Venyah may be SVSU's first such doomsayer, and he drew a sizable reaction on campus as he proselytized near Living Center North on Monday and Tuesday.

Such a reaction should be expected, though. SVSU students, nestled in a suburban campus outside of walking distance from urbanity, are altogether unaccustomed to such a thing. Students at larger public universities wouldn't have given Venyah the time of day, but there was virtually no way around him on SVSU's cozy campus. For example, LCN residents had to turn up the music just to drown him out.

Venyah was not received favorably, to SVSU's credit. More than 200 people joined Facebook groups decrying "the dudes at the rock," vowing to ignore him in the future.

The larger issue at work here is not really SVSU's response to such vast ignorance, but whether professing said ignorance should be considered free speech. Do phrases like "ALL HOMOS GO TO HELL" screen-printed on t-shirts constitute free speech?

Being a newspaper, the Vanguard must support free speech, and therefore Venyah's right to do what he does, even if it is hateful. But there are compelling arguments that can make even us think twice about taking such a position.

For example, would allowing the KKK to march through campus wielding signs with racial slurs be acceptable? Would Hitler be protected if he wanted to hold a rally in the Courtyard? Should al-Qaeda find asylum by the gazelle fountain if it was in need of fresh recruits?

Free speech is a dear thing and is essential to democracy and the economy. But there are abuses of free speech, like yelling "fire" in a crowded theater, to use the famous analogy. One has to think critically about the uses of free speech - can one invoke free speech even in causing harm to another?

Realistically, Venyah's speech was harmless. He posed no physical threat to anyone but himself in shouting his absurdities by the rock last week.

Most of SVSU's student body did the right thing: they exercised their right to free speech in making Venyah understand that he was absolutely unwelcome on campus, without any exception (the few students that physically harassed Venyah, on the other hand, did the wrong thing, and should be punished).

We commend the many students that spontaneously gathered to mock and protest his proselytizing. Seeing this kind of thing happen at SVSU is rare indeed, but it shows that beneath its decidedly apolitical exterior, politics lurk in the heart of the student body on campus.

Being confronted with intellectually threatening or otherwise uncomfortable situations only strengthens one's mind, as long as one reacts to it intellectually, and not physically. Trying to change someone's mind through physical intimidation never works.

Maybe SVSU could use more Michael.