Liberty University Bans Group Endorsing Candidates Who Support Abortion Rights, Editorial Says

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 29 May 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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"You can be a Democrat at Liberty University as long as you don't support" candidates "who so much as hin[t] at supporting abortion rights or same-sex marriage," a Washington Post editorial says, adding, "That, at least, seems to be the message Liberty University sent when it withdrew its recognition of the campus Democratic group as an official club." The editorial continues, "The students' offense was not that they spoke out in favor of abortion or gay marriage but that they supported candidates who do." Considering that the university "is a vibrant, diverse school of 11,500 residential students," it is "too bad its administrators appear to have so little tolerance for political diversity," according to the Post.

When the university began recognizing the club in October 2008, it did so "with the understanding that members wouldn't support gay marriage or abortion," according to the Post. Mathew Staver, dean of Liberty's School of Law, said that although club members never vocalized support for abortion or gay rights, they were "advocating positions for individual candidates that clearly promoted abortion."

Liberty campus Democrats President Brian Diaz said that the university-approved club constitution gives members the freedom to endorse candidates. According to Diaz, most of the club's members oppose abortion rights and intended to plan antiabortion-rights events for the upcoming school year. Diaz said that he believes abortion is a "great travesty." However, the club is willing to endorse candidates who support abortion rights as long as they are working to reduce the need for abortion, he added.

According to the Post, "Diaz's explanation is as reasonable as the university's handling of the situation is not." The editorial concludes, "Why recognize a club for campus Democrats but not allow it to actually support Democrats, including the president of the United States? Universities should facilitate healthy exchanges of ideas, not fear them" (Washington Post, 5/27).

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