Word: specter
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...Senator Specter is a pro-choice candidate for the Republican Party's nomination for President of the United States, and as such he has faced many protests by pro-life members of his party. At Friday's speech, members of two official student organizations, the Harvard Republican Club and the Harvard-Radcliffe Alliance for Life, attempted to display banners expressing their opposition to Specter's views. These banners were not offensive in tone; they read "Lincoln's Party Will Never Abandon the Unborn" and "America Votes Pro-Life '94-'96." They were hung silently and without disruption in front...
...protesters to demonstrate without disrupting the speech, officials of the Kennedy School almost immediately removed these banners. When one banner was found to be difficult to remove from its place, the officials literally tore the banner in their haste. The banners were removed so quickly that Senator Specter never even noticed them...
When the removal of these banners was called to his attention by a questioner, Specter expressed his view that the banners should have been allowed to remain; he recognized them as an essential part of the political dialogue. Yet almost before the senator had finished his words, Dean Carnesale, who was moderating the speech, declared that it was the policy of the Kennedy School to prohibit all signs in the ARCO Forum. He announced, "I'll take the responsibility," and observed that there were no "advertisements for gas stations" hung on the wall, either. However, in overlooking the distinction between...
...silent, unobstructive protest of the Harvard organizations is in no way a prohibited activity under this definition (which notably is the only sentence in the report in bold-faced font). If only Senator Specter's speech had been organized by Harvard College rather than the Kennedy School, the Harvard students would not have been deprived of their right to challenge the speaker's views, and the Harvard community would not be deprived of the end-product of this clash of ideas...
...needs of the Harvard community and its individual members. Perhaps the Kennedy School is concerned that its speakers will be annoyed by protesters; yet annoyance and even outrage are basic components of political debate. The conflict of ideas is truly a battle. Perhaps, aware that C-SPAN was taping Specter's speech for later broadcast on television, Dean Carnesale was trying to protect the image of the University, yet instead he announced to the entire nation that Harvard does not tolerate the open dialogue that is essential to the pursuit of knowledge...