"Shame on Yoo." Chanting this, student and local community members rallied last Friday to protest the presence of John Yoo - a former Justice Department lawyer and influential official in the Bush administration who spoke at forums hosted by the Miller Center of Public Affairs, the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society and the Federalist Society. Yoo played a significant role in forming the legal justification for controversial interrogation policies - including waterboarding - used during the War on Terror. Despite the potential for public outcry, noteworthy activists and political figures - even controversial ones like Yoo - should be embraced on Grounds.
It often is said that University students, and perhaps college students more generally, spend four years in something of a "bubble," insulated from outside concerns. Many campuses are self-contained, and if students choose, they can remain confined in the University community and limit interaction to only other students. Oftentimes students are surrounded by others who have similar socioeconomic backgrounds and who share similar outlooks on the world. Speakers like Yoo force students to think critically about current events - and not solely from an academic perspective within the classroom. It is important for students to be exposed to those with radically different views, as it leads to intellectual maturity and the building of informed opinions.
Protestors showed up to hold "Yoo accountable for his actions," said University alumnus David Swanson, Washington Director of The Aggressive Progressives. Yoo's arrival also drew Cindy Sheehan, a nationally known peace activist, urged protestors to "keep the pressure up and hold the Bush administration criminally accountable."
Students should be cognizant of the benefits garnered from these discussions; it is worth noting the function protests historically have played on college campuses. Questioning existing political and social norms is in many ways emblematic of the college experience, as campuses often have been the home of peaceful protest. Although the University does not have the same rebellious heritage as schools like the University of California, Berkeley, students should embrace this opportunity for freedom of expression as a means to broadening their perspectives.
When controversial figures grace collegiate institutions, they provide distinctive and memorable learning opportunities that are unrivaled by textbooks. Influential thinker Carl Jung once said, "We cannot change anything unless we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses." Shunning those who have different opinions is not part of the solution; it is part of the problem. Accepting opposing views and embracing their presence on Grounds - no matter how radical or controversial such ideas may appear - gets at the heart of what a university's academic mission ought to be.
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