When an Opposing View Is Forced on a Group, Balance Becomes Forced Speech

​When College Democrats invite speakers to campus, they usually aren’t forced to include Republicans for “balance.” Nor are conservative campus groups generally required to include liberals in their discussions. Yet the Catholic University of America is imposing this oppressive standard on its Students Supporting Israel (SSI) chapter (hat tip to Sara Weissman at Inside Higher Ed).

SSI tried twice to invite speakers Catholic University apparently considered too controversial and had their requests for an event on campus denied. In each instance, the group was told the university would reconsider approval “for this topic and speaker as long as there is a balanced presentation,” and asked SSI to kindly “restructure the event and resubmit a request to have speakers representing both sides of this issue.”

How many “sides” must a pro-Israel student group be required to invite to its pro-Israel – and by definition anti-antisemitic – event? And what exactly are the other “sides” that need consideration? A pro-Hamas speaker, many of whom defend the barbarity of Oct. 7?

For what it’s worth, it would be just as obnoxious for an event critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza or the West Bank to be forced to include speakers defending Israel’s current policies.

Whatever happened to free expression on campus, including the right to ask any invited speaker really tough questions? Or to protest peacefully outside the event? That’s the American way. And that’s exactly what happened last fall when the university approved SSI’s request to bring two Israeli Defense Force soldiers to campus. Difficult questions were asked and peaceful protesters showed up.

Catholic University’s new approach is now as inconsistent as it is capricious, which makes its administrators’ rationalizations in this case read more like recriminations. The university’s vice president for communications told Inside Higher Ed that the school wanted to hear from a greater variety of voices about how to fight antisemitism – beyond the ones that SSI chose to invite.

Fine, if so, then the university should sponsor its own event.
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In an interview with Jewish News Syndicate, SSI chapter president Felipe Avila discussed the letter to CUA that the organization sent in response. It’s a refreshing (and much-needed) crash course on the First Amendment and we’ll close with one line from it. The university’s decision, it reads, is “not an exercise in academic freedom. It is forced speech.”

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