April 2009
The following
letter was addressed and sent separately to each of the presidents.
April 7, 2009
Mr. AllanRock
President and Vice-Chancellor
University of Ottawa
Office of the President
Dr. Roseann O’Reilly Runte
President and Vice-Chancellor
Carleton University
Office of the President
Dear President Rock (or Runte):
I’m
writing on behalf of the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship (SAFS), a
national organization of professors, students, and interested others who are
dedicated to academic freedom, free speech, and reasoned debate on university
campuses. You can learn more about our organization at www.safs.ca.
Recently, your senior administration banned from your campus a controversial
political cartoon displayed as a poster during Israel Apartheid Week. SAFS
strongly opposes your decision to censor the cartoon. No doubt the banned
cartoon was perceived by some, or even many, as offensive, inaccurate, unfair,
deliberately provocative, and repugnant. But lawful and peaceful debate must be
allowed to run its course. The primary mission of the university is the pursuit
of truth, and this goal must not be limited because the presentation of an
argument is hurtful or because university administrators want to shape the
extent or tone of the debate.
SAFS’ position is to oppose all censorship of lawful speech on university
campuses, because censorship precludes the full investigation of the correctness
or incorrectness of ideas. Proponents and opponents must be able to present
whatever facts and viewpoints they believe are relevant in an attempt to
demonstrate the correctness of their position. Reasoned and free debate is the
best means yet discovered to pursue and ascertain the truth. If debate is
corrupted by censorship then the university becomes no more than an
indoctrination center.
Our
hope is that we will not see any further attempts at your university to censor
opinion on controversial topics. We would appreciate a response to our
concerns.
Sincerely, Clive Seligman, PhD
President
Help us maintain freedom in teaching, research and scholarship by joining SAFS or making a donation.
