By Andrew Breschard
YAF poster for their speaker Ryan T. Anderson (Provided by Andrew Breschard)
Behind the outrage, vandalism, ad hominem attacks, and false accusations, there is a group of people so insecure in their views and identities that the mere thought of allowing those who disagree with them to exercise their freedom of expression is too much to handle. It is truly shameful that at a liberal arts institution like Gettysburg College, which claims to promote a free and open exchange of ideas, the student body is incapable of engaging in any discourse surrounding the most pressing issues of our generation unless everyone shares the same views.
When the Gettysburg College Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) requested money from the student senate to fund a lecture by Dr. Ryan T. Anderson, we were not only denied funding, but members of the student senate openly attacked our character and the characters of any voting member who supported funding our event. When we went to our parent organization for help, they were able to solicit donations from their supporters to fund the lecture anyway. Yet the College still went out of its way to obstruct us at every turn. They delayed approving the event, refused to sign the contract for the event in a timely manner, and scheduled (and rescheduled) counter events specifically to line up with our lecture.
This kind of obstruction of a college-recognized student organization by the student senate and the administration is unprecedented and extremely disappointing. While we are grateful that the College ultimately did the right thing by allowing us to host Dr. Ryan T. Anderson, they have been far from supportive and have actively sought to undermine the event.
It was a shock to me and many other members of YAF when we discovered that an email had been sent out by the College about our event. The response, while not as shocking as the email, has been nothing short of disgusting. Our flyers, which we put up throughout campus on Wednesday, have all been torn down by hostile students. Our members have received an endless slew of harassment and abuse via social media. We have been targeted with false accusations about our character and called names that are not fit for print. What has developed is nothing short of a culture of intimidation.
Make no mistake, the claims that have been made about our group, its members, and the speakers we bring to campus are unequivocally false. We, nor Dr. Anderson, deny the right of any individual to exist. To say otherwise would be a baseless lie.
Why, then, is there so much backlash to our event? Why are members of the campus community demanding we be silenced? Why do they feel the need to threaten to disrupt our event, or prevent it from happening? The answer is clear. They are afraid.
They are not afraid of violence or being victimized, though they would have you believe that is the case. They are afraid that if the many members of the campus community who have not fully bought into their radical gender ideology are exposed to our ideas, they might agree with us. They want our event boycotted not because the rhetoric shared is hateful or harmful but because it is powerful, logical, and based in reality.
So, over the next few days leading up to Tuesday’s lecture, I implore all of you to do your research on Dr. Anderson and come to your own conclusions. Do not believe the lies and fabrications you hear from other students. Chances are they know nothing more about Dr. Anderson than what appears at the top of a Google search.
Finally, I want to encourage everyone on campus to attend Dr. Anderson’s lecture on Tuesday, October 18 at 7:00 p.m. in CUB 260.
There will be a Q&A period at the end of the lecture, during which we will prioritize questions from individuals who do not agree with the speaker. Whether you agree with us, oppose us, or have no opinion, I hope you will take the time out of your Tuesday next week to expose yourselves to a new perspective.
October 14, 2022
I am the Founding President of the Eta Phi Chapter of Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity – March 1, 1958.
The year prior to our local Phi Epsilon Nu “going National” with AXP, I personally “rushed” Freshman Ray Lee and proposed his name for inclusion in our Pledge Class, which was approved with NO dissenting votes.
Ray was one of only two African American
students at Gettysburg at the time – and Ray
turned down our invitation to join our Brotherhood. That was just three short years after the historic SCOTUS Brown versus Board
of Education decision.
Of course, the very next year Freshman John
Wilkerson pledged AXP and became Chapter President during his Senior year.
October 14, 2022
I promise I’m 1000% not afraid of EVER agreeing with you. I’ve done my research and can confirm Anderson is a bigot who spreads lies, misinformation and violence under the guise of science. The “logic” and “reality” you’re referring to are baseless. I encourage you to use that 65k liberal arts education to think a little more critically and recognize the biases you harbor simply because you can’t understand your experience is in fact not universal or that your discomfort is more important than another’s fear to live fully. Your patronizing tone and over generalizations prove nothing but the fact that you have made zero effort to understand others while thoughtlessly demanding others do the same. Shame on Gettysburg College for allowing this speaker. You will not be seeing any monetary support from me.
October 14, 2022
You’re eating a private dinner at Penn Hall, the de facto capital of our campus with the rest of your organization and the speaker. Victims? Gimme a break. They roll out the red carpet for conservatives. This whole country does.
October 15, 2022
Though your own life is privileged, many others cannot play the “Devil’s advocate.” Free speech and open minds are great, but do not expect a warm welcome for someone whose dog whistles support bigoted sentiments. Your speaker isn’t being silenced, his pseudoscience is actively harming communities. You are young, and it is my biggest hope that you learn that you are a very small being in a large world. That should be the goal of college. Listen, grow, and explore the many spectrums of understanding beyond your own limited (and pessimistic) philosophy.