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State Representative Rebecca Hamilton, a democrat from Oklahoma City, has contacted the University inquiring information about Richard Dawkin's visit in March. Information she requested included cost of the event, and where funding for the event came from. Archived photo by James Cornwell/ The Daily |
March 6, the day author and evolution advocate Richard Dawkins spoke at OU, a state representative contacted an OU administrator asking for information about Dawkins’ appearance on campus.
Jay Doyle, university spokesman, confirmed Rep. Rebecca Hamilton, D-Oklahoma City, asked OU Vice President Danny Hilliard for detailed information about Dawkins’ visit, including how much the event cost, where its funding came from and about e-mails from departments that sponsored the visit.
Hamilton did not respond to repeated phone calls or a visit from The Daily, but some see Hamilton’s questioning as an attempt to attack academic freedom.
“I find it deeply [troubling] that elected state officials appear to be using the powers of their offices to attempt to censor the opinions of those with whom they personally disagree,” Piers Hale, history of science professor, said in an e-mail. “[OU] President [David] Boren has quite correctly pointed out that this is an issue of freedom of speech, and thus of constitutional prerogative.”
Doyle said Boren stands by the statement he made before Dawkins’ speech in support of the appearance at OU.
But State Rep. Todd Thomsen, R-Ada, said he supports Hamilton’s right to ask for information from OU because, as a public institution, OU is subject to government oversight. He said representatives ask for information from other state-funded agencies on a regular basis.
State Rep. Wallace Collins, D-Norman, said this is the first time he has heard of a legislator looking into any speaker a university has invited.
“Certainly, Richard Dawkins had a right to come to OU, and OU had a right to invite him,” Collins said.
He said he thinks OU has an obligation to bring in controversial speakers like Dawkins so students can hear different sides of issues, like evolution, and make up their own minds.
Thomsen said he thinks OU’s celebration of Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday, and specifically Dawkins’ invitation, indicated OU was only presenting one side of the evolution debate.
“Not one speaker was brought in to oppose that,” he said.
Collins, however, said OU did host speakers with views opposing Dawkins’.
John West and Casey Luskin from the Discovery Institute, a nonprofit organization that advocates the teaching of the “strengths and weaknesses” of evolution in public schools, spoke at OU in February.
West and Luskin were invited by the IDEA Club, an OU student organization that promotes intelligent design and evolution awareness, said Josh Malone, University College freshman and IDEA Club member.
West and Luskin’s visit was a bit different, though.
The club didn’t receive funding from OU to bring the speakers to campus, Malone said.
Thomsen not only said OU’s speakers were one-sided, but their views were not consistent with those of the state.
Three days before Hamilton’s inquiries, Thomsen proposed House Resolution 1015 in opposition to OU’s invitation of Dawkins. Thomsen said he wrote the resolution because he felt he had a responsibility to his constituents to share his opinion as a state representative.
The resolution was never heard by the House, but Thomsen said that hasn’t stopped criticism.
“I have received quite a bit of opposition from a consistently atheistic crowd worldwide,” he said.
Thomsen said he has been accused of trying to advocate censorship, but said he feels as though he’s the one being censored.
He said his resolution proposal wouldn’t censor anyone but his critics are trying to censor him and others who question evolution.
“It [the proposal] simply says that, you know, we strongly oppose [Dawkins’ appearance at OU],” Thomsen said.
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Can someone explain to me how Thomsen is being censored? Just because the "consistently atheistic crowd worldwide" is telling him that he is being a fool doesn't mean that they are necessarily trying to limit his free speech, and if they are saying such things then they are being hypocrites (it would be interesting to see exactly what the nature of this "opposition" is that he claims to have been facing). Let him make a fool of himself. We'll tell him about it and consider it come next election. That's how free speech works.
Wow, sometimes I hate living around all these redneck bigots. If only we didn't play such good football and basketball in Oklahoma...lol
Public institutions have all the rights to invite speakers to campus. Over 20,000 students on campus and we all have different ideas. I never attended Dawkins talk because it is not my interest area, but I would hate to see me or any campus group I am involved in get stopped from inviting someone to campus because someone strongly opposes them.
This is deeply troubling. I agree that the Legislature has an oversignt role, but this is clear abuse of that role for purely political purposes.
I have much respect for Representative Collins for his defense of the University.
Dawkins is one of the foremost experts on evolution IN THE WORLD. It would be an absolute tragedy if the legislature used its power to shame the University into a position where it felt compeled to invite only politically uncontroversial speakers.
The University is a marketplace of ideas, where we go to broaden our horizons - not just to reinforce the beliefs we already hold.
Representatives Hamilton and Thomsen should be ashamed of themselves. Our school has hosted speakers of all stripes. Conservative, Liberal, Religious, Nonreligious...I cannot think of ANY good reason why they would weigh in like this just because they happened to disagree with a speaker we hosted. They should both be removed from the Higher Education committee in the legislature. They have clearly shown that they do not understand the purpose of higher education.
Oh, come on!
These are your typical politicians of our state. If a Christian rabble rouser like Dr. Dobbs or any of the Christian flat-earth, earth was created 6000 years ago gang was on campus non of these danged overrated local politicians would NEVER have called to see if as a "public institution" where we got the funds to spread christian doctrine.
This is all part of the Rightwing(both Democratic and Republican rightwingers in our state) censorship in our state that is overt and covert.
Thompson and Hamilton and other legislators need to focus on the abysmal poverty levels, absymal education levels, the high white teen pregnancy rates, the very high white divorce rates etc of this state and also ask themselves why we get more dollars per capita than we pay into the Federal tax system.
Then they should also wonder why we have a higher per capita (or per 100,000 as metrics on social indices go)murder and rape rate before messing with hallowed institutions of higher learning.
President Boren and OU STAND Out in a state where standing out nationally or internationally is extremely rare.
Bravo Boren, Mr. President, stand up to these small timers and bringing our state out of the Scarlett letter era where a lot of our backward areas are stuck in. They fear knowledge.
I know you have allowed all sides of the spectrum on campus and encouraged debate and exchange of ideas. Campuses are the only place where people are at least enabled to shed their preconceived indoctrinated notions and interract with people who are informed and learned. Campuses are the only place in this nation where all people of all faiths, lack of faith, colors and creed can interact without being segregated. BRAVO Mr. BOREN. Please stand up to these mucky overreaching local politicians. They need to focus on the real issues facing us poor okies. We get more per every dollar we pay into the Federal tax system compared to liberal states like Mass, or CT. Why are we not ending that? or focussing on teen white pregnancy rates and single mothers who do not have any state support to raise children they are forced to have? Where is our emulation of the real actions of Jesus? Leave science alone you foolish politicians. please leave science alone.
Fear is an illusion that imprisons the soul! It is a fearful, soul-less humanity that has precipitated such agony upon all on this earth!
I want Thompson, Hamilton and all other flat-earthers to explain why our crime rates per 100,000 are so high. Investigate that please. look at our rape rate and murder rates.
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/data/tab...
I like how they just assumed that OU didn't have speakers from both sides. They clearly had no evidence whatsoever to back that claim.
I am just curious if anyone emailed him and asked him to share and express his ideas? I say we all email Mr. Todd Thomsen and ask him to express his ideas clearly and concisely. If he gets a 20,000 emails asking him for his ideas, rather than his head. Well then, he will not know what to do!
jeez---Oklahoma? I guess we have to remember that the descendants of a lot of people here are from the preachers and ministers who came here in the 1800s to "civilize" the Indians, so what can we really expect. They have been indoctrinated for generations, and they are entitled to their beliefs but when it comes to trying to censor or even invoke the threat of censorship it crosses a line. I'm sorry, but I get Christianity shoved down my throat all the time here..if that guy that screams and damns everyone on the south oval is allowed to be here then so is anyone (non-violent of course). I'm pissed about all the church channels I have to pay for that I never watch......why doesn't somebody get rid of those???
"I want Thompson, Hamilton and all other flat-earthers to explain why our crime rates per 100,000 are so high."
Clearly, the answer is because we let immoral people like Dr. Dawkins speak in our state. Thank you Mr. Thomsen and Mrs. Hamilton for trying to protect us from the danger of ideas and rational thought.
Disclaimer: Sarcasm is defined in Webster's.
Listen to all of you, full of hate towards religion, upset that you "have to put up with Christians beliefs", "pay for Christian Channels" on cable, afraid that the "Christians are trying to sensor science", "Cramming Christianity down my throat" type of talk. What you are really trying to do is sensor Christians, obviously. If you truly believe in free speech, then why all the hateful chatter towards those with opposing beliefs? This guy was voted as a state representative and he is doing his job. We WILL see next time elections come around... and he gets elected again..... because Oklahoma IS conservative and it IS Christian, Norman is just the exception. If you have a problem with that then take your liberal ideas to California and hand them out along with your free needles for prison inmates and abortions for all who could care less about living a responsible life. And if you are wondering why Oklahoma has high burglary/crime rates, look at the trend. ALL southern states have higher rates because they are closer to MEXICO, where we have twice as many illegals as other states. Another thing to ponder when considering your GOD given, unalienable rights
For those of you struggling to learn why the southern states have higher crime statistics per capita.... use common sense. The farther south you travel, the more illegal immigrants. Good thing we are about to open our borders..... if only San Franciso and Washington were on the border!
supergert, you take a very complex issue and make a huge generalization while presenting no evidence. Great job stating your case.
I also enjoyed your attack on "all of [us]", using two things in quotes that no one here said and two things in quotes that *one* person actually said. Because someone grows tired of hearing Christians flaunt their religion doesn't mean they are censoring them, it means they are tired of hearing it. Censoring means telling someone they don't have a right to say something, which not a single person on these comments has suggested. In my experience, it is usually the Christians who wish to do the censoring because they desire to protect themselves from thoughts and ideas which run counter to their beliefs. Let Christians say whatever they wish, but it is not censorship if I wish to say something a Christian said is incorrect or foolish.
See supergert, unlike dargus, you forgot to put the sacrasm disclaimer on your post. Oh, I forgot - you really meant it because you're a racist! Don't let your lack of spelling skillz make you look any more ignorant than you already are.
For heaven's sake, legislators, what is an education for? Is it not to equip our youth to think for themselves? Is not education's purpose to build knowledge? Exploration of new ideas broadens horizons, leading to wisdom and enlightenment. Exploration of ideas is an especially useful tool in a society like Oklahoma's where (it seems) a majority of the citizens are wary of change. Change can be threatening, but exposure to divergent views is necessary for the creation of an educated forward thinking citizenry.
Hello. We are a state institution. We shouldn't be pandering to Christian Ideology. Seriously. Do people go to Sunday Service and cry that every single viewpoint isn't represented? Nope. It's dumb. It's defeatist. You can't walk a block in Ada or Norman without stumbling onto a church. There is no lack of expression of religion in our area. We need separation of church and state, not proliferation of church by the state. This was a celebration of Darwin's birthday, for goodness sake. Can we now expect the churches to hold a nationwide Science Fair on Easter?
Don't hold your breath. OU isn't a private Christian school (Thank God). It's a state school, in an area that is suffocated by religion. If all OU did was buttress the supposed "80%" values of Oklahomans, we wouldn't have near the diversity, the culture, or the excellence we have today.Open up your heart and let the sunshine in. Jesus is a big boy, he can take it.
-Bubba
@supergert If only someone could stop the undergoing invasion of religion-hating drug-addicted Mexican abortionists... Did you know the communist party was behind all this too?
Disclaimer: ...do I need to put a disclaimer?
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