Does Harvard's 'Right' Get Wronged?

Last fall, Jose M. Padilla '97 found a swastika drawn on his door. Last month, Steven J. Mitby '99 received an anonymous note signed with a swastika.

Padilla and Mitby are conservative students. Both of them found the letters after they--or groups to which they belong--expressed conservative views.

Padilla, a member of Peninsula magazine, found the swastika on his door after the magazine's controversial "Know Your Enemy" issue came out in September.

Since the issue came out, Padilla says students have called him a fool, idiot, bigot, fascist and Nazi.

The letter Mitby received called him a "jackbooted Nazi thug" after he challenged an Undergraduate Council resolution against "transgender" discrimination on Feb. 23.

These hate acts--and other incidents--have led some conservatives to feel unwelcome on campus. Even worse, some conservative students say, the letters attempt to violate their freedom of speech.

"You're embarrassed to say that you're Republican because you get bad reactions and weird looks. I've been called sellout and worse and some people stop talking to you," Padilla says.

Padilla says he has gotten this reaction less as his classmates have gotten to know him better. "But there is still no effort to make conservatism seem like a normal thing," he says.

Mitby says the anonymous threat ("If you think you've heard nasty things over e-mail, you ain't seen nothing yet," it read) has made him hesitant to speak his mind.

"I'm concerned by the level of disrespect shown for dissenting opinions and particularly offensive is the use of the word 'Nazi,'" he says.

Peninsula editor Bradley L. Whitman '98 agrees. "It does seem that there is a double standard where it's okay to try and suppress the opinions of conservatives and infringe on their rights of free speech," he says. "Calling us Nazis or fascists allows them to simply lump our views into a category where we can't be taken seriously."

Two weeks ago, Peninsula comp posters with the slogan "Faith, family and freedom" were parodied with posters equating the group with "racism, fear and bigotry."

Whitman says conservatives face intolerance because they are a minority on campus.

"The power resides in the majority and the majority is liberal," he says.

Because conservatism is unpopular on campus, students let conservative-bashing slide, says one council member who asked to remain anonymous.

"I think if you ask everyone on campus, they would say that Steve [Mitby] didn't deserve the hate letter. But privately, many people probably thought it wasn't thoroughly unjustified," the council member says. "Many U.C. members condemned the incident [against Mitby] but it just didn't sit right with them to say what happened to Steven was categorically wrong. A conservative opinion is going to be typecast as intolerant whereas a liberal opinion is going to be seen as being tolerant."

Padilla says the liberal atmosphere on campus fosters a false sense of diversity.

"Here, my ethnicity is so important, like I'm supposed to express it all the time or something. People will say, 'We need you, we need a Hispanic here,' but when I worked for [House Majority Leader] Dick Armey's office this summer, I never felt like I was out of place even though I was the only Hispanic," he says.

Padilla says his rooming group consists of students from Greek, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, African-American, Peruvian and Honduran backgrounds but was the result of friendship rather than any concerted effort toward diversity.

It was this idea of a color-blind society which attracted Padilla to the Republican Party in the first place, he says.

"The Republican Club [on campus] doesn't keep track of the ethnicities of its members because it just doesn't care. It has never crossed their minds," Padilla says.

Kid Gloves

Padilla decries what he saw as a lack of administrative response when found the swastika.

"I went to Dean [of Students Archie C. Epps III], my house masters and my senior tutor and asked them if any action could be taken, and nothing was done," Padilla says.

"They seemed like they wanted to be helpful, but there was not much they could do.... They said they'd get on it, but nothing ever happened," he says.

Epps says administrators have limited power to respond to incidents like the swastikas found by Padilla and Mitby.

"In the case of speech, we are constrained to respond with speech and thus to recognize the right of expression of anyone along the political spectrum," Epps says.

According to Epps, the administration can only act if there is repeated harassment or posters that incite violence against an individual.

Some students charge that the administration sacrifices discipline for diversity when responding to conservative-bashing.

"[Administrators] use their kid gloves on things which really don't affect the administration. They're trying to prove that they're diverse...but in the process, they're forgetting to include everyone," Padilla says. "They forget that someone who's conservative could be oppressed as well."

"[Administrators] figure there's not enough support on the Harvard campus for these conservative groups," says Harvard Republican Club President Travis D. Wheatley '99. "They figure it won't get into the media and there won't be any loss of Harvard's reputation."

In fact, some conservative students claim the administration has a double standard when it comes to free speech by liberal and conservative groups.

"If similar incidents were to occur against vocal liberal groups, I'd be willing to guess that the University would come down much harder," Wheatley says. "There would be a much larger outcry if there were offensive material posted on the door of say, BGLTSA [Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgendered and Supporters Alliance] members."

But Epps stresses that the administration supports free speech and tolerance for every student--and every group--on campus.

"The history of our response has been to firmly condemn bias against any group no matter what form," Epps says.

"I would...caution members of the college to honor everyone's right to be a member of this college no matter their political persuasion and to call for a civil debate of these issues," he says.

Consensus on Conservatism

Although Epps calls conservatism at Harvard "a fairly viable voice," many students--liberal and conservative--agree it is a voice which often falls on unwelcoming ears.

Marco B. Simons '97, a council member and co-sponsor of the transgender amendment, says liberal students consider themselves tolerant because they accept differences in religious affiliation or sexual identity.

Liberal students' tolerance often ends at ideology, says Simons, who called the swastika letters "absolutely inappropriate."

"As much as we, the left, would like to consider ourselves tolerant and open to opposing viewpoints, I don't think the left or the liberal community always engages in appropriate forms of discourse," he says.

Seth D. Hanlon '98, former president of the Harvard-Radcliffe College Democrats says there should be more outrage over the recent threats received by conservative students.

"People don't have the same sort of gut reactions when conservatives are being bashed or called a Nazi, but I think they should because it's completely inappropriate," Hanlon says. "It doesn't contribute to intelligent political discourse."

But other students say there is no difference in the way liberal and conservative students are treated on campus.

"I do not see any organized effort to curtail the ability of conservatives to express their beliefs on campus," says Micah S. Myers '00, co-director of the Civil Liberties Union of Harvard (CLUH).

"I believe that they have the same rights as people on all parts of the political spectrum to express their ideas," he says.

Beth A. Stewart '00, a self-described conservative council member who nonetheless voted for the transgender bill, says she sees tolerance of different political viewpoints on campus.

"I think the average Harvard student is one, liberal; and two, generally receptive to others' ideas," she says. "There are wacko liberals who draw swastikas on people's doors who don't deserve them and there are radical conservatives who have extreme views, but I think those are extreme cases."

"I think it's a shame that either movement is being characterized by extreme incidents on campus," she says.

Derek C. Araujo '99, president of the liberal Secular Society, says the swastikas were provoked.

"I'm in favor of allowing everyone to express their opinions and to argue them through rational discourse," he says, but adds, "I think there's a slight difference in that other minorities haven't done anything to provoke these incidents against them," Araujo says.

"I'm not saying that anyone has a right to put swastikas on people's doors, but I think [Mitby and Padilla] were partly at fault for having used such harsh rhetoric. I think both parties were wrong," he says.

Defending Free Speech

Despite tension between liberals and conservatives on campus, most students agree that free speech is an important goal.

Myers draws a sharp line between free speech and hate speech.

"I think that while people have a right to express political sentiments, there is a boundary between political speech and explicit threats," he says.

Araujo agrees that free speech is paramount.

"I do have problems with Peninsula's ideology, but if I could paraphrase Voltaire, I would fight to the death for the right to express their ideas," Araujo says.

Mitby's opposition to the council amendment banning discrimination against the transgendered--people born as one gender but who live as the other--apparently sparked the hate letter he received.

But Alex S. Myers '00, Harvard's only openly transgendered student and the center of the debate over the council's transgendered amendment, condemned the letter.

"That is not a proper response at all. It's very infantile. It's very cowardly. It does nothing to help either side and possibly does a lot to hurt," he says. "I think it's a shame people think that's the only forum open to them.

"The prevailing PC-ism of the times says that its okay for me to say 'I don't like Republicans,' but it's not okay for a Republican to say 'I don't like gays,"' he says. "In the real world, it's much easier to be homophobic than liberal. But on a college campus, it's reversed."CrimsonRonald Y. Koo

Two weeks ago, Peninsula comp posters with the slogan "Faith, family and freedom" were parodied with posters equating the group with "racism, fear and bigotry."

Whitman says conservatives face intolerance because they are a minority on campus.

"The power resides in the majority and the majority is liberal," he says.

Because conservatism is unpopular on campus, students let conservative-bashing slide, says one council member who asked to remain anonymous.

"I think if you ask everyone on campus, they would say that Steve [Mitby] didn't deserve the hate letter. But privately, many people probably thought it wasn't thoroughly unjustified," the council member says. "Many U.C. members condemned the incident [against Mitby] but it just didn't sit right with them to say what happened to Steven was categorically wrong. A conservative opinion is going to be typecast as intolerant whereas a liberal opinion is going to be seen as being tolerant."

Padilla says the liberal atmosphere on campus fosters a false sense of diversity.

"Here, my ethnicity is so important, like I'm supposed to express it all the time or something. People will say, 'We need you, we need a Hispanic here,' but when I worked for [House Majority Leader] Dick Armey's office this summer, I never felt like I was out of place even though I was the only Hispanic," he says.

Padilla says his rooming group consists of students from Greek, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, African-American, Peruvian and Honduran backgrounds but was the result of friendship rather than any concerted effort toward diversity.

It was this idea of a color-blind society which attracted Padilla to the Republican Party in the first place, he says.

"The Republican Club [on campus] doesn't keep track of the ethnicities of its members because it just doesn't care. It has never crossed their minds," Padilla says.

Kid Gloves

Padilla decries what he saw as a lack of administrative response when found the swastika.

"I went to Dean [of Students Archie C. Epps III], my house masters and my senior tutor and asked them if any action could be taken, and nothing was done," Padilla says.

"They seemed like they wanted to be helpful, but there was not much they could do.... They said they'd get on it, but nothing ever happened," he says.

Epps says administrators have limited power to respond to incidents like the swastikas found by Padilla and Mitby.

"In the case of speech, we are constrained to respond with speech and thus to recognize the right of expression of anyone along the political spectrum," Epps says.

According to Epps, the administration can only act if there is repeated harassment or posters that incite violence against an individual.

Some students charge that the administration sacrifices discipline for diversity when responding to conservative-bashing.

"[Administrators] use their kid gloves on things which really don't affect the administration. They're trying to prove that they're diverse...but in the process, they're forgetting to include everyone," Padilla says. "They forget that someone who's conservative could be oppressed as well."

"[Administrators] figure there's not enough support on the Harvard campus for these conservative groups," says Harvard Republican Club President Travis D. Wheatley '99. "They figure it won't get into the media and there won't be any loss of Harvard's reputation."

In fact, some conservative students claim the administration has a double standard when it comes to free speech by liberal and conservative groups.

"If similar incidents were to occur against vocal liberal groups, I'd be willing to guess that the University would come down much harder," Wheatley says. "There would be a much larger outcry if there were offensive material posted on the door of say, BGLTSA [Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgendered and Supporters Alliance] members."

But Epps stresses that the administration supports free speech and tolerance for every student--and every group--on campus.

"The history of our response has been to firmly condemn bias against any group no matter what form," Epps says.

"I would...caution members of the college to honor everyone's right to be a member of this college no matter their political persuasion and to call for a civil debate of these issues," he says.

Consensus on Conservatism

Although Epps calls conservatism at Harvard "a fairly viable voice," many students--liberal and conservative--agree it is a voice which often falls on unwelcoming ears.

Marco B. Simons '97, a council member and co-sponsor of the transgender amendment, says liberal students consider themselves tolerant because they accept differences in religious affiliation or sexual identity.

Liberal students' tolerance often ends at ideology, says Simons, who called the swastika letters "absolutely inappropriate."

"As much as we, the left, would like to consider ourselves tolerant and open to opposing viewpoints, I don't think the left or the liberal community always engages in appropriate forms of discourse," he says.

Seth D. Hanlon '98, former president of the Harvard-Radcliffe College Democrats says there should be more outrage over the recent threats received by conservative students.

"People don't have the same sort of gut reactions when conservatives are being bashed or called a Nazi, but I think they should because it's completely inappropriate," Hanlon says. "It doesn't contribute to intelligent political discourse."

But other students say there is no difference in the way liberal and conservative students are treated on campus.

"I do not see any organized effort to curtail the ability of conservatives to express their beliefs on campus," says Micah S. Myers '00, co-director of the Civil Liberties Union of Harvard (CLUH).

"I believe that they have the same rights as people on all parts of the political spectrum to express their ideas," he says.

Beth A. Stewart '00, a self-described conservative council member who nonetheless voted for the transgender bill, says she sees tolerance of different political viewpoints on campus.

"I think the average Harvard student is one, liberal; and two, generally receptive to others' ideas," she says. "There are wacko liberals who draw swastikas on people's doors who don't deserve them and there are radical conservatives who have extreme views, but I think those are extreme cases."

"I think it's a shame that either movement is being characterized by extreme incidents on campus," she says.

Derek C. Araujo '99, president of the liberal Secular Society, says the swastikas were provoked.

"I'm in favor of allowing everyone to express their opinions and to argue them through rational discourse," he says, but adds, "I think there's a slight difference in that other minorities haven't done anything to provoke these incidents against them," Araujo says.

"I'm not saying that anyone has a right to put swastikas on people's doors, but I think [Mitby and Padilla] were partly at fault for having used such harsh rhetoric. I think both parties were wrong," he says.

Defending Free Speech

Despite tension between liberals and conservatives on campus, most students agree that free speech is an important goal.

Myers draws a sharp line between free speech and hate speech.

"I think that while people have a right to express political sentiments, there is a boundary between political speech and explicit threats," he says.

Araujo agrees that free speech is paramount.

"I do have problems with Peninsula's ideology, but if I could paraphrase Voltaire, I would fight to the death for the right to express their ideas," Araujo says.

Mitby's opposition to the council amendment banning discrimination against the transgendered--people born as one gender but who live as the other--apparently sparked the hate letter he received.

But Alex S. Myers '00, Harvard's only openly transgendered student and the center of the debate over the council's transgendered amendment, condemned the letter.

"That is not a proper response at all. It's very infantile. It's very cowardly. It does nothing to help either side and possibly does a lot to hurt," he says. "I think it's a shame people think that's the only forum open to them.

"The prevailing PC-ism of the times says that its okay for me to say 'I don't like Republicans,' but it's not okay for a Republican to say 'I don't like gays,"' he says. "In the real world, it's much easier to be homophobic than liberal. But on a college campus, it's reversed."CrimsonRonald Y. Koo