Dear President Rothman and UW System Chancellors:
It has been nearly one month since Charlie Kirk was tragically assassinated on a college campus for speaking to college students about his beliefs and expressing his ideas – something guaranteed to each of us in the Constitution. Charlie did what many conservative students across your own campuses are afraid to do because they fear retaliation from your professors, administrators, and other students.
At a time in our country when someone was murdered on a college campus for promoting open dialogue and civil political discourse, one would hope that there would be some kind of statement from our university leaders here in Wisconsin. A statement about how our taxpayer-funded universities are going to make sure that students in Wisconsin can freely express their views. A statement about how political violence – regardless of ideology – is wrong and should be condemned. A statement about how students can respectfully disagree with each other civilly. But instead, nothing.
Wisconsinites must ask themselves why the leaders of the UW System haven’t issued any statement condemning violence on college campuses. Is it because leadership dare not cross their woke students and professors? Or is it because our leadership is so out of touch with our young adults that they have forgotten this could be the most impactful moment for our nation’s youth since September 11, 2001 (an event that happened before any of our undergrads were even born)?
I can already tell you what UW System chancellors and President Rothman will say: UW’s new policy prohibits university leaders from making statements that are political. The purpose of this new policy is, “to uphold and protect academic freedom, freedom of expression, and an environment in which competing ideas can be freely discussed and debated by all members of the university community.”
The goal of the policy was the exact mission of Charlie Kirk. This isn’t about politics. This is about a man who was murdered in cold blood for freely expressing his views on a college campus, something the UW System alleges is important to them and something that is a cornerstone of higher academia.
When a conservative, or anyone with a differing opinion that isn’t a liberal progressive speaks on campus, university leaders and professors are quick to send emails and statements to students about “resources” they can access at the university. But when a man, who thousands of your students respected, is murdered on a college campus, you are silent. Are there not resources on campus for conservative students? I stand with those faculty members across UW System campuses who are calling for our universities in Wisconsin to issue a statement about free speech and condemning the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
I am confident that I speak for thousands of students and parents across this state and am deeply disappointed with every chancellor and UW System administrator – and every Wisconsin citizen should be too. Now is the time for our university leaders to show us how important freedom of expression is to all of us. I challenge our university leaders to not only engage students in open dialogue, but to actively invite speakers across all sides of the political spectrum to engage in civil discourse on every campus in Wisconsin.
Charlie said it best, “when people stop talking, that’s when you get violence.”
It’s time for our universities to start talking – our future generations depend on it.
Sincerely,
Alex Dallman
Wisconsin State Representative
39th Assembly District
