So, for the first event of the Arizona Association of Scholars, Ward Connerly will be our guest. Being a strong believer in open dialogue I forwarded a press release to many student organizations on campus. Here is one response:
To: Daniel, Arturo, Andrea, Lorenzo, Socorro, and David I didn't want to explain all of this to the greater email list, but I'm just sending this to a few leaders on campus: Ward Connerly (for those who may not be familiar) was a key opponent of Affirmative Action when the University of Michigan defended its admissions process to the Supreme Court in the late 1990s. As chair of Alianza (Latino student organization) at the University of Michigan during the Affirmative Action cases, I can attest that, frankly, his advocacy can do more potential damage for student of color resources on campus than the cultural center restructuring plans. So, I urge you to research Connerly's track record, attend the talk, and let your voices be heard. If you think it would help, I'd be glad to address your organizations, just let me know. Thanks, Maurice
Jeepers, so much for free inquiry and open dialogue, which now seems to be a dangerous commodity.