Welcoming Other Voices
February 26, 2001

Two weeks ago I wrote about 'the silencing of the signs' ‹ the removal from across the campus of posters which used words descriptive of sexual orientation: "gay," "lesbian," "bisexual," "straight," "trannies,", and "queer." Tearing down the signs was wrong, I argued. We must be prepared to hear voices with which we do not agree —voices we may find provocative, even disturbing. That is not just my personal view. It is the policy of this college. We should not and will not tolerate such silencing.

Since writing that column I have had occasion to speak about the silencing of the signs at a faculty meeting, and again at an all-staff meeting. I have had follow-up conversations and e-mails with several members of the faculty and staff, and with a number of students.

A few students wrote asking what my action plan was with regard to this incident. A column in the Word didn't seem sufficient to them. On this matter (as in most matters) I believe our approach should be to educate. In the interest of seeking truth, we should be a place that not only tolerates but encourages the expression of all sincerely held beliefs. But this posture is difficult for many people to accept. We should not expect that new students (for example) will arrive on campus completely prepared to accept, with equanimity, the many strong expressions of viewpoint they will hear from others and that they will see postered around the campus. ("I would assume that Earlham must OK flyers before they are posted," one parent wrote me. I imagine she will be dismayed when I tell her that we do not have a process to approve the content of all posters before they are displayed on campus. And most assuredly we should not.)

Every year we need to help new members of our community understand that we expect to be a place where all of us are regularly confronted with a wide variety of strongly held views ‹ many of which we individually find disagreeable. When we are confronted with incidents where some members of the community try to cover our ears or muffle our voices, we need to explain to them, quickly, clearly, and forcefully that we must listen carefully to the conscientiously expressed views of all others.

Several people wrote to me about the difficulties encountered by those who have conservative social or political views to express. "Sooo...," wrote one, "I should be able to put up some equally provocative posters, and they will remain? How about some Marine Corps recruiting posters?" I doubt such posters will appear. These conservatives have learned, they tell me, that speaking up on this campus will only bring them contempt and derision. Their signs aren't torn down; they are never put up. Their statements aren't shouted down; they are swallowed before being uttered. Pro-life views, pro-Israel views, pro-business views, pro-Bush views: all are held largely in silence at Earlham.

Does that only happen to conservatives on this campus? I am sure not. I am sure it also happens to others with uncommon views. But it shouldn't happen to anyone trying to express the truth as s/he knows it.

Does that mean anything goes? That anything can be said at any time? By no means. "This last fall, I had a student with a T-shirt that said 'F*** you...' and mentioned a group following the statement," one faculty member wrote me. He added, "Provocative, you bet! When considering the true meaning of that phrase, it is pretty hard to think of a worse attack on someone. I told the student to not wear that shirt again. Am I, or was I wrong?" Not wrong, I believe.

We must insist that we will listen ‹ and respectfully —to anyone's effort to conscientiously speak the truth as s/he knows it. Barnyard epithets broadcast indiscriminately from a tee shirt are not, however, a conscientious effort to speak the truth. And truth-seeking is our cardinal virtue. Is it always clear which efforts are those to speak the truth and which are those merely aimed to upset and provoke? By no means. And that is why we have to talk and talk and talk some more about why it is essential to always speak the truth respectfully and to always listen respectfully to one another.