In response to Ms. Guerrero's letter in the February 24 edition of The Miami Student titled "Rice a bad guest speaker choice for Miami," I must wholeheartedly disagree.
As a firm believer in science and finding trustworthy and reliable evidence, I categorically reject all of Ms. Guerrero's biased so-called "sources" that somehow prove to her that Ms. Rice is guilty of some criminal activity. In the country I was raised in, I was taught to believe that someone is innocent until proven guilty. Has there been some criminal trial with Ms. Rice as a defendant? If so, I've somehow missed it.
In college, we are taught to accept nothing for face value, but to judge each and every piece of knowledge, and form our own opinions from what we hear. How can we learn anything if information is withheld? I agree with Ms. Guerrero that knowledge is power and that knowledge can accomplish both great good and great evil. However, good and evil are relative measurements, and what one views as good may be pure evil to others.
Therefore, I believe that no matter Ms. Guerrero's opinion of the actions of Ms. Rice, she deserves the right to speak at Miami University. Here, each student, faculty, staff and guest can listen to her remarks and make informed decisions for themselves about what they can or cannot learn from her. Isn't that what makes free speech a cornerstone of
our democracy?
The political implications of her visit are something that I feel are completely irrelevant. Every person brings a new set of ideas and opinions to the table; its what makes our nation diverse. No matter what a person's political beliefs are, they should not be restricted from speaking at Miami, nor should alumni, students, staff, or faculty view a visit from them as a grand approval of the person's beliefs or actions by the university. We should welcome everyone to Miami, give them the opportunity to speak their minds, make thoughtful, and careful assessments of what we as people can take away.
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