Free Speech for Some

By The Revolutionists

John Marshall, President of Colorado Mesa University, has championed the idea of free speech, even going as far as saying CMU’s “civility” towards a white supremacist speaking on campus is what makes CMU special.

Marshall has made very clear both that he finds the speaker’s ideas abhorrent, and that the speaker is here at the invitation of a student group.

Marshall continues to use students as a shield, saying students invited the speaker, therefore his hands are tied. But in reality it is John Marshall and the administration that are hosting this speaker at this point. 

What has not been widely made public is that two weeks ago, 20 students opposed to Jared Taylor speaking on campus joined the Western Culture Club. They followed the club’s constitution, they followed Club Advisory Board rules. They called a meeting and elected new officers. Marshall could have taken the off-ramp those brave students provided him. Instead, Marshall had Jody Diers, Trey Downey and David Ludlam, all three high-level administrators, meddle in student club politics to ensure that the talk proceeded. As of today, 20 out of 25 members of the WCC don’t want Jared Taylor on campus, but those 20 students apparently have less free speech than the five racists that started the club. 

Let me say that again for the civil rights attorneys in the back; John Marshall sent three top administrators to disenfranchise the voices of 20 students all in an effort to make sure a white supremacist spoke at CMU. His protestations and polished emails to the “Mavily” cannot cover this up. 

Additionally, admin even had GJPD—in their role as campus security—guard a meeting of the original five members just before spring break.

John Marshall could have taken the off-ramp, but didn’t. Don’t be lulled by the doublespeak; John Marshall is personally hosting this speaker. 

Tickets for the talk have also been a fiasco, and the control of the tickets have been left in the hands of the minority (5 vs. 20) of the WCC club.

Max Applebaugh told the CMU Criterion in an email, “I didn’t prevent anyone from going. Rather I never set aside tickets…I am [unwilling] to remove people from the reservation list (some of whom are flying in from out of state) to make room for [media]. I know journalists like to see themselves as first-class citizens and entitled to special treatment, but I do not see them that way.”

Additionally, Marshall’s recent statement in an email published by the Daily Sentinel calling the editor of The Revolutionist an “antifa lunatic” was a mask-off moment where Marshall decided to attack the media that exposed the months of rising levels of racism and hate on campus. His reaction was not to take swift and decisive action to make the campus safer for students of color and LGBTQ+ idenities but to denigrate and call the press names.

Does Marshall not believe in the part of the first amendment that covers the press? Surely, a poli-sci teacher would know that the media is the only private institution provided for in the Constitution to play a role in our system of checks and balances.

A coalition of student clubs have organized a Unity event from 3pm to 8pm on the campus that is open to the public, and will surely be awesome, but according to Jody Diers, “No protests will be tolerated inside the fenced festival.”

Meanwhile a large coalition of students, alumni, retired professors and community organizations with structure and leadership provided by the Mesa County chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America has been meeting for weeks planning a peaceful protest march against the CMU administration, John Marshall and the white supremacists they are platforming.

These students, whose free speech is supposedly just as dear to Marshall’s heart, have been told they cannot flyer or poster or promote non-sanctioned events on campus. 

Which is it, John? Free speech for all, or just for the white nationalists?

Attacks on the press, the exclusion of the press, the disenfranchisement of anti-racist students’ voices, the prohibition on protesting at the sanctioned event, and the suppression of student organizers working on the march all paints a picture of free speech on campus that isn’t all that free.

At least not free for everyone.