Is it the University of Utah’s job to protect its students? It appears that they don’t think so. Concerns over sexual assault last year led the university to offer free self-defense classes to any women that would like to take them, essentially communicating, “if you are sexually assaulted, it is because you didn’t know how to defend yourself.” There were no mandatory trainings or workshops for men or women.
Just recently, racist posters on campus targeted the already marginalized black student body. The university acknowledged the incident, and subsequently referred people to available resources, essentially communicating, “if you are offended by these posters, seek help on your own.” There were no mandatory trainings or workshops on diversity and racism.
On Sept. 27, the YAF will be hosting a lecture by Ben Shapiro on campus. The lecture “will take on leftist myths of white privilege, trigger warnings, microagressions and diversity.” If, as university spokeswoman Annalisa Purser claims, “Although we encourage freedom of speech and critical conversations, the university does not tolerate hateful speech or discrimination against any part of our campus community,” then this event must be canceled. It is not enough to say, “If this offends you, don’t go.”
We are living in desperate times, times that are getting increasingly more dangerous for nonwhite, non-Christian, nonheterosexual, nongenderconforming, nonmales. It’s time for the U. to (finally) take a stand against racism, bigotry and violence, in whatever form it takes, not only to stand on the right side of history, but to protect its own student body.
Dani Golomb
Salt Lake City