The events of 2020, like 1968 before it, may eventually be seen to have set the terrain of political and cultural debate for the next fifty years. And while not the leading edge of social unrest, certain movements within the university will stand out years from now. Taken collectively they may be seen to have made a significant dent in the armor of the liberal character of the American university.
But that retrospective analysis is years away. We the living have at this moment an opportunity to rediscover and recommit to the ideal of the university as the home of rational debate and inquiry. This core mission of the American university is the common ground of American society, apart from partisan rancor and mob tactics, and dedicated to the proposition that all positions are created equal and up for debate. Now is the time, especially for those in leadership positions within the university, to remember the university’s core mission and defend it.
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