To President Fiorentino:
In your memos Friday and Sunday morning, you have sought to reassure students and employees about the Trump rally. But if you read the students' cries on public Facebook pages and hear their calls for protest, you will see the mismatch between your reassurances and our concerns.
Your reassurances are about political speech among equals: "free exchange of ideas... all of us have the right to disagree... you enjoy the right to free speech just as all political candidates... we support you as you let your voices be heard peacefully. We encourage ... the principles of civility that are a fundamental value of West Chester University."
A principled university administration would accept that the very structure of a hierarchy renders the perspective of those higher on those lower limited. We don't blame you for not knowing instinctively what the students are saying. But we do hold you accountable to take the trouble to ask, to listen, and to lead in that free exchange of ideas. This is what you will hear:
Political speech is legal, and requires university protection for Trump and campus protesters. At the same time, hate speech by the powerful reduces the safety of its targets, and requires a companion stance on the part of the university. The message in your memos is that hateful speech is of no concern to you -- that only political speech is. A university president could take a stand for the humanity of all in our campus community. In the absence of such a stand, we hear a silent, painful, message of support for hate.
The implications of this message are grim and serious for students and employees who are or are perceived to be immigrants, Muslims, people of color. You have seen the videos of Trump rallies. These groups, already targeted by social realities and the legacies of history, are left vulnerable to denigrating and humiliating speech, threats, and physical violence.
You have a choice about your moral leadership. We call on you to declare: "While we are unwavering in our stand for Trump's right to speak, we, the administration of WCU, stand against intolerance and racism, and for the safety, humanity, and thriving of all in our community and beyond. Any expression of hate by the Trump campaign, in the past, on Monday or in the future, that denigrates immigrants, women, Muslims, people of color, or any other human beings, is antithetical to the very messages of tolerance which require us to make a space for them to be heard. This is the American way. This is the West Chester University ethic of civility."
We, the undersigned,
Updates
April 25, 2016
Reaching this point has been exhausting but watching the numbers climb reminds me why I started this in the first place. I am drained by the resistance we are facing from the administration, yet seeing this level of participation keeps me moving forward.
Reached 100 supporters
April 25, 2016
34 Comments
The university does indeed have a commitment to support free speech. But it also has a commitment to speak out against xenophobia, racism, and intimidation. The Donald Trump campaign uses intimidatory language and encourages violence; as such it moves from being political speech to mounting an assault on the political.
Very well put. While I agree that Donald Trump holds as much of a right to spew his ideas as anybody else in this country, I do not agree with our university's decision to provide him with a stage to do so considering the nature of the ideas he promotes. As a public institution of higher education with a diverse student body, I truly cannot believe that we are giving this man the attention that he does not deserve in the slightest.
I'd like to see the addition of LGBTQ individuals in this petition. However I'm impressed by the wording and reality of this petition. WCU must allow the Trump campaign but should address their stance on hate and hate speech. Campus climate is important and as an alum I am disappointed we have to ask the administration to speak up.
WCU has a moral obligation to take a stand against any one person, group, or institution that espouses hate, segregation, disparate treatment, marginalization, and the like. Your opening the campus to a hatemonger is reprehensible. You are not listening to students, employees, faculty, and the community. What happened to WCU's commitment to civility, diversity, procedural and distributive justice?
The man who's followers have a history of harming people like me? This is NOT what I'm in school for.
As an alumni I am so saddened that WCU would make the decision to bring such a vocal and proud person about their hate and oppressive views. While free speech and an understanding of the political process is important, Donald trump does not demonstrate this in an educational way. With this decision WCU demonstrates they value money over their student's voices and equality. Please reverse the decision to bring Donald Trump to campus.
I dont not believe the university should allow someone who hates most of the students that attned to hold a rally on their campus.
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To President Fiorentino:
In your memos Friday and Sunday morning, you have sought to reassure students and employees about the Trump rally. But if you read the students' cries on public Facebook pages and hear their calls for protest, you will see the mismatch between your reassurances and our concerns.
Your reassurances are about political speech among equals: "free exchange of ideas... all of us have the right to disagree... you enjoy the right to free speech just as all political candidates... we support you as you let your voices be heard peacefully. We encourage ... the principles of civility that are a fundamental value of West Chester University."
A principled university administration would accept that the very structure of a hierarchy renders the perspective of those higher on those lower limited. We don't blame you for not knowing instinctively what the students are saying. But we do hold you accountable to take the trouble to ask, to listen, and to lead in that free exchange of ideas. This is what you will hear:
Political speech is legal, and requires university protection for Trump and campus protesters. At the same time, hate speech by the powerful reduces the safety of its targets, and requires a companion stance on the part of the university. The message in your memos is that hateful speech is of no concern to you -- that only political speech is. A university president could take a stand for the humanity of all in our campus community. In the absence of such a stand, we hear a silent, painful, message of support for hate.
The implications of this message are grim and serious for students and employees who are or are perceived to be immigrants, Muslims, people of color. You have seen the videos of Trump rallies. These groups, already targeted by social realities and the legacies of history, are left vulnerable to denigrating and humiliating speech, threats, and physical violence.
You have a choice about your moral leadership. We call on you to declare: "While we are unwavering in our stand for Trump's right to speak, we, the administration of WCU, stand against intolerance and racism, and for the safety, humanity, and thriving of all in our community and beyond. Any expression of hate by the Trump campaign, in the past, on Monday or in the future, that denigrates immigrants, women, Muslims, people of color, or any other human beings, is antithetical to the very messages of tolerance which require us to make a space for them to be heard. This is the American way. This is the West Chester University ethic of civility."
We, the undersigned,
Updates
April 25, 2016
Reaching this point has been exhausting but watching the numbers climb reminds me why I started this in the first place. I am drained by the resistance we are facing from the administration, yet seeing this level of participation keeps me moving forward.
Reached 100 supporters
April 25, 2016
34 Comments
As a resident of West Chester and the spouse of a WCU faculty member, I urge the president to support in no uncertain terms the position outlined in this letter.
The university does indeed have a commitment to support free speech. But it also has a commitment to speak out against xenophobia, racism, and intimidation. The Donald Trump campaign uses intimidatory language and encourages violence; as such it moves from being political speech to mounting an assault on the political.
Very well put. While I agree that Donald Trump holds as much of a right to spew his ideas as anybody else in this country, I do not agree with our university's decision to provide him with a stage to do so considering the nature of the ideas he promotes. As a public institution of higher education with a diverse student body, I truly cannot believe that we are giving this man the attention that he does not deserve in the slightest.
I'd like to see the addition of LGBTQ individuals in this petition. However I'm impressed by the wording and reality of this petition. WCU must allow the Trump campaign but should address their stance on hate and hate speech. Campus climate is important and as an alum I am disappointed we have to ask the administration to speak up.
WCU has a moral obligation to take a stand against any one person, group, or institution that espouses hate, segregation, disparate treatment, marginalization, and the like. Your opening the campus to a hatemonger is reprehensible. You are not listening to students, employees, faculty, and the community. What happened to WCU's commitment to civility, diversity, procedural and distributive justice?
The man who's followers have a history of harming people like me? This is NOT what I'm in school for.
As an alumni I am so saddened that WCU would make the decision to bring such a vocal and proud person about their hate and oppressive views. While free speech and an understanding of the political process is important, Donald trump does not demonstrate this in an educational way. With this decision WCU demonstrates they value money over their student's voices and equality. Please reverse the decision to bring Donald Trump to campus.
I dont not believe the university should allow someone who hates most of the students that attned to hold a rally on their campus.
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As a resident of West Chester and the spouse of a WCU faculty member, I urge the president to support in no uncertain terms the position outlined in this letter.