DCU response to Horowitz editorial

The Duke Conservative Union was amused yet saddened to see The Chronicle's April 17 editorial "David Horowitz: an unwelcome guest."

After labeling our speaker an "inflammatory demagogue," grossly mischaracterizing the Academic Bill of Rights, and of course, casually and unconvincingly labeling him a bigot, the editorial board criticized the DCU for inviting David Horowitz "so soon after his SAF-sponsored appearance" in March 2006. We did not realize that two years on a college campus is a short period of time.

Since Horowitz spoke by invitation of Students for Academic Freedom, half of the undergraduates, two-thirds of the law school students, all of the MBA students and many other graduate students have left Duke. Consider also that-according to your publication-only 600 people saw Horowitz last time, and it should be apparent that many people on campus had not heard him until last night. Furthermore, we guarantee you that no one had yet heard him speak about "Islamo-Facism," a different subject entirely from academic freedom.

The DCU hopes everyone who attended last night enjoyed Horowitz's visit to Duke. The dialogue that has begun and will ensue should prove that Horowitz's ideas are valuable to this community precisely because they are unique-at least on the campus of an elite university. And there are many other conservative speakers who could prove valuable to the Duke community. Your editorial board noted this in the following statement: "There are plenty of prominent, intelligent conservative figures within and beyond the political and academic realms. Perhaps the DCU could look into inviting one of them in the future."

The DCU wholeheartedly agrees, and it invites the editorial board to participate in our selection process. Here is a short list of intelligent conservative figures the DCU would like to bring to campus next year: William Kristol, Pat Buchanan, William Bennett, John Yoo, Oliver North, Larry Elder, Michelle Malkin and Ward Connerly. Pick one and let us know.

David Bitner

President, Duke Conservative Union

Trinity '10