In the long and pitiful history of college speaking disinvitations, this one may just take the cake. The University of New Haven had invited Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke — a prominent critic of Black Lives Matter — to give a speech about forensics. Over at his blog, Clarke quotes the original invitation and says that he exchanged multiple emails planning for the event — until the university apparently decided that a law enforcement officer can’t speak about forensics unless he also embraces progressive radicals. The university rescinded his invitation. Here’s Clarke:
On August 3, my assistant had a conversation with Mr. Malloy, who was extremely apologetic and embarrassed to have to rescind the offer. Apparently, the higher-ups did not want me to speak on campus due to my remarks about #BlackLivesMatter.
After Clarke publicized the university’s action, the school put out perhaps the weakest, most lame explanation in the history of campus censorship:
“Circumstances did not permit Sheriff Clarke’s attendance” — what does that even mean? As Clarke notes in a follow-up post, the university doesn’t even demonstrate the courage of its politically correct convictions. It’s too cowardly to let him speak and too cowardly to state why.
And that’s not even the best part. My favorite line in the entire post is the classic nod to academic freedom: “As an institution of higher learning, we fully support free speech and value the marketplace of ideas.” Yes, freedom through censorship, it’s increasingly the academic way.
Nice work, University of New Haven, you summed up everything that’s wrong with campus political correctness in seven glorious lines of doublespeak and cowardice. You must be so proud.