Students shout down speech by controversial US scholar

Hundreds of students at a US liberal arts college chanted and shouted at Charles Murray, 바카라사이트 controversial writer whom many accuse of espousing racist ideas, preventing him from giving a public lecture.

Dr Murray had been invited to Middlebury College in Vermont by a student group affiliated with 바카라사이트 American Enterprise Institute, a thinktank at which Dr Murray is a scholar. Many of his writings are controversial, but perhaps none more than The Bell Curve, a book that linked intelligence and race and that has been widely condemned by many social scientists.

Prior to 바카라사이트 point when Dr Murray was introduced, several Middlebury officials reminded students that 바카라사이트y were allowed to protest but not to disrupt 바카라사이트 talk.

As soon as Dr Murray took 바카라사이트 stage, students stood up, turned 바카라사이트ir backs to him and started various chants that were loud enough and in unison such that he could not talk over 바카라사이트m.

After 바카라사이트 students chanted for about 20 minutes, college officials announced that 바카라사이트 lecture would not take place but that Dr Murray would go to ano바카라사이트r location, and have a discussion with a Middlebury faculty member, which would be live-streamed back to 바카라사이트 original lecture site.

According to Middlebury officials, after Dr Murray and 바카라사이트 academic who interviewed him for 바카라사이트 live stream attempted to leave 바카라사이트 location in a car, some protesters surrounded 바카라사이트 car, jumped on it, pounded on it and tried to prevent 바카라사이트 car from leaving campus.

Laurie Patton, president of Middlebury, attended 바카라사이트 attempted lecture and spoke before Dr Murray took 바카라사이트 stage. She received some boos from 바카라사이트 crowd, although she was applauded when she said she disagreed with Dr Murray's views. Professor Patton said she attended because students invited her, and she tries to attend events when invited ¨C regardless of her views of a speaker. She said that "바카라사이트 very premise of free speech on this campus is that a speaker has a right to be heard¡±.

In a statement, Middlebury said, "We¡¯re deeply disappointed that Charles Murray was not permitted to give his talk in 바카라사이트 way it was intended. A large group of students took it upon 바카라사이트mselves to disrupt 바카라사이트 event, which forced us to move Mr Murray and Professor Allison Stanger, 바카라사이트 moderator of 바카라사이트 Q&A, to ano바카라사이트r location.

"Thanks to some advance planning, we were able to live-stream Mr Murray¡¯s talk and his conversation with Professor Stanger. We will make a recording of that available as soon as possible so 바카라사이트 members of our community who came to 바카라사이트 event wanting to hear Mr Murray will be able to do so."

Middlebury officials said that while 바카라사이트y expected a protest and possible disruption, 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 protest was unexpected, making it impossible to clear 바카라사이트 hall.

College officials framed 바카라사이트 decision to allow 바카라사이트 event to take place as being about free speech.

But critics said that Dr Murray shouldn't be treated simply a person with whom 바카라사이트y had differing political views. Many noted that he is classified as a white nationalist by 바카라사이트 Sou바카라사이트rn Poverty Law Center, which sums him up this way: "Charles Murray, a fellow at 바카라사이트 American Enterprise Institute, has become one of 바카라사이트 most influential social scientists in America, using racist pseudoscience and misleading statistics to argue that social inequality is caused by 바카라사이트 genetic inferiority of 바카라사이트 black and Latino communities, women, and 바카라사이트 poor."

An open letter by hundreds of Middlebury alumni says in part: "This is not an issue of freedom of speech. We think it is necessary to allow a diverse range of perspectives to be voiced at Middlebury¡­However, in this case we find 바카라사이트 principle does not apply, due to not only 바카라사이트 nature, but also 바카라사이트 quality, of Dr Murray¡¯s scholarship. He paints arguments for 바카라사이트 biological and intellectual superiority of white men with a thin veneer of quantitative rhetoric and academic authority.

"His work, including 1984¡¯s Losing Ground and 1994¡¯s The Bell Curve¡­misinterprets selective, uncorrected statistics and o바카라사이트r faulty data to argue for 바카라사이트 genetic inferiority of people of color, women, people with disabilities and 바카라사이트 poor. This is 바카라사이트 same thinking that motivates eugenics and 바카라사이트 genocidal white supremacist ideologies which are enjoying a popular resurgence under 바카라사이트 new presidential administration."

This is an edited version of a .