When Thomas Jefferson first founded the University, the institution served as America's only beacon of secular learning in a sea of theologically based higher-education. Unlike Princeton, Harvard, William and Mary, and Colombia, the University of Virginia lacked religious affiliation and - brace yourself - even a seminary. At the time, Jefferson's plan for the University numbered as one of the most progressive educational ideas ever realized in the new nation. Free from the restraints of religious ideology, the University proved a prophetic paradigm for the increasingly secular trend embraced by the American educational system.
The University of Virginia embodies the institutionalization of secular thought, but when faced with the shouting of religious rhetoric and sign waving of the Woroniecki family on Grounds Wednesday, September 16, the atmosphere of the University felt more like an evangelical revival than an institution created for the pursuit of knowledge. Most students forced to pass by the spectacle reacted with disgust and anger. Several even screamed for members of the family to "Shut up." The often hateful reactions of the students to the abrasive teachings of the Woroniecki family appear justified but actually run counter to the philosophical ideals of the University.
Despite lifelong exposure to the liberal idea of freedom of expression, the inherent danger in desiring to silence offensive speech has failed to be impressed on some University students. Students should react happily when publicly offended by opposing ideas because the public voicing of any counter-cultural thought serves as a testament to the strength of American democracy and the diversity of Constitutional freedoms. This is particularly true when attempting to oppose extremist groups such as the Woroniecki family who publicly espouse that "tolerance is the absence of courage."
The belief that tolerance is cowardice runs directly counter to the principle of freedom of thought which forms the ideological basis of the University. As Mr. Jefferson said, "Reason and free inquiry are the only effectual agents against error." . University leadership recognizes that, in order for intellectual freedom to endure, all viewpoints must possess the right to expression. Obliviously, the Woroniecki family benefits from the very standard of tolerance which they denounce, most vehemently saying, "Tolerance is the modern buzz-word for this nation of cowards." Secularism is the dominant cultural trend in America today, which means groups such as the Woroniecki's are in the minority. The Woroniecki's should therefore embrace the concept of tolerance and be thankful that America's diverse Judeo-Christian heritage created a precedent for tolerance which empowers them to express their beliefs publicly.
The mirroring of the Woroniecki's prejudice by members of the University community proves far more disconcerting than the intellectual bigotry displayed by the visiting religious extremists. Some students were quick to voice their offense toward the incendiary speakers and express wishes to silence their right to speak. The foundation of ignorance from which these close-minded students made their demands proves the most frightening aspect of their petitions. The Constitution does not guarantee freedom from offense, but rather freedom of speech. The freedom to express ideas invariably requires that individuals' central beliefs be challenged, but that is the quintessential foundation of a vibrant democracy. The fact that a substantial minority of students desired to curtail this right from the Woroniecki's proves alarming considering that every person's right to freedom of expression inexorably intertwines with the rights of others.
Those students displayed no desire to learn anything about the Woroniecki's background, ideological bent, objectives, or past history.
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