Last week was Freedom Week on the University of Toledo’s Main Campus. According to an e-mail sent to the presidents of student organizations at UT, Freedom Week was established through a bill passed by UT Student Senate, which declared November 9-13 as “a week long celebration of our nation’s armed forces, Toledo’s ROTC and Ronald Reagan’s defeat of communism.”
The inception of a week-long celebration to honor our troops and the freedoms for which they have so bravely fought to preserve is a wonderful addition to UT’s calendar of events. However, we are disappointed that a display case put together by the organizers (Student Government and the UT College Republicans) of Freedom Week contained highly politicized messages — most of which carried anti-Obama and anit-leftist sentiments.
Yes, freedom of speech is one of our most cherished liberties as Americans, and these College Republicans and those in SG have the right to voice their opinions; however, we, too, reserve the right to voice our opinion, and we have concluded that the messages in the display case were distasteful and tarnished the message of the week’s ceremonies. Rather than be taken as a venue to voice our opinions — good or bad opinions — on President Obama and the left-wing policies being pushed in Congress, Freedom Week should have served as a tribute to our troops and a celebration of our freedoms.
Those organizing the week’s events made an unfortunate blunder, confusing politics for patriotism. We should not deem certain political ideologies as patriotic and others as unpatriotic. We should not equate one political ideology with freedom and another political ideology with “death” (as one of the display posters read). Instead, Freedom Week should welcome the diversity of American politics; it should cherish that socialist philosophies and capitalist philosophies can both circulate freely through the halls of Congress, university classrooms and our corporate culture.
Instead of calling Obama a socialist and labeling left-wing progressives as “destructive influences,” next year, the organizers of the week should exercise their freedom and host a Freedom Week debate of sorts. This would involve bringing individuals from the left, the right and the center of the political spectrum, and having them debate political and social issues. By bringing individuals with informed opinions, from all sides, to debate, the university community would benefit because it would give individuals an opportunity to learn from and understand various political viewpoints. Writing disparaging, malign statements about our President and left-wing politicians will only insinuate hate and fear — two feelings that can damage our democratic system by clouding our reason.
While we are disappointed in the way Freedom Week organizers attacked Obama and the political left, we are pleased to see the UT ROTC refrain from sponsoring the week’s functions. Choosing not to have their name next to posters that defamed Obama and left-wing political ideology was the right decision for ROTC, considering they are an apolitical organization that ultimately reports to Obama, their commander in chief.
We hope that, during next year’s Freedom Week, the same respect demonstrated by UT ROTC can be exhibited by all who are participating in the week’s functions.
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