This LTE was written in response to: Boston College Republicans’ Statement to the BC Community.
I’m writing in response to a statement published on Sunday evening, authored by the Executive Board of Boston College Republicans. The authors raise a number of points that I, as a Democrat, agree with: we must reject political “intimidation” and “hate speech,” “ad hominem attacks” are no substitute for healthy “debate and dialogue,” and it is wrong to dehumanize our political opponents over disagreements.
I only agree with their statement, however, until the point of authorship. It is deeply unserious for BC Republicans, of all groups, to lament the state of our political discourse when their actions, behavior, and conduct routinely demonstrate incivility toward marginalized groups and ignorance of their position on campus.
I remind my fellow students, faculty, and staff of BC Republicans’ history of sponsoring hateful guest speakers, such as right-wing provocateur Andrew Klavan. Despite Klavan’s racist comments, the then-president of BC Republicans said “we have been accused of harboring hatreds which we do not.” Shortly thereafter, BC Republicans hosted conservative political scientist Hadley Arkes, who compared gay marriage to heroin use and prostitution. BC Republicans never repudiated these comments. In fact, their Instagram posts promoting these speakers are still up. Of course, merely harboring hateful voices doesn’t necessarily implicate BC Republicans in that hatred. But it does call into question the legitimacy of a statement like “we call upon all students, faculty, and staff to reflect on their harmful words.”
BC Republicans’ statement merely reflects the group’s unpopularity on campus, that they have lost in the free marketplace of ideas. It does not prove that conservative students have been bullied and harassed for their beliefs on a widespread scale. No member of the BC community is obligated to listen to BC Republicans, let alone agree with them—which most do not. Dissent is not denigration or dehumanization, and the irony of BC Republicans decrying “ad hominem attacks” while denouncing their critics as “unhinged” should not be lost on any member of the BC community.
I conclude with this anecdote: In May 2021, the president of BC Republicans hijacked a Climate Justice at Boston College demonstration to declare his club was “a suppressed group on campus.” A protester shouted back, “You literally have a megaphone right now.”
