As President of the MSU College Democrats, I would like to take a moment to clarify our organization’s opinion regarding Glenn Beck and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce annual dinner he attended Tuesday.
We are dedicated to the preservation and protection of free speech for all persons. Free speech, however, is acknowledged to have limitations. When speech is untruthful, it is called slander. When speech is hateful, it is called incendiary.
We firmly uphold that Beck has crossed the threshold of mere free speech by engaging in openly hateful remarks that seek to specifically twist the truth regarding various issues, among them health insurance reform.
Our rally yesterday sought to playfully show that health insurance reform will benefit those who need it most, and individuals who oppose health care are those who are not in need of it. We also would like to bring serious attention to the unfair distortions created by Beck, whether they were caused willfully or not.
We sincerely disagree with The State News editorial board in stating that Beck is not as extreme as other speakers brought to campus. Additionally, the threshold for insanity ought not to be measured by the speakers previously brought by MSU Young Americans for Freedom, as stated by the editorial board.
We welcome Beck to address our questions and concerns in a civilized manner and would happily oblige to discuss our concerns regarding his rhetoric, so long as he too acknowledges that MSU College Democrats seek only to inspire a more just and prosperous society.
Mitchell Rivard
social relations and policy junior and president of MSU College Democrats
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