Duke Gets FIREd

Our friends at FIRE continue their meritorious work on behalf of free speech on campus, this time at Duke, which, as you may recollect, has had some problems with the idea over the years. In this instance, the Duke University Women's Center had refused to allow a group of undergraduate women, members of Duke Students for Life, to use its facilities for a presentation on motherhood. Apparently, some of the others at the women's center got quite exercised about the topic, and complained loudly, prompting one of the DWC's staffers to refuse the request. Remember that the Women's Center, like many other student organizations on Duke's campus and elsewhere, is supported by the activities fees that come out of everyone's tuition. Its use, in principle at least, isn't restricted to a specific set of viewpoints or groups. Ah, but as I've learned over the years, that's often exactly how it works in practice, especially at Women's Centers, where being a "woman" is less about being female, and much, much more about feminist ideology. Sad to say, but I've heard this record many, many times before. That's why it's so heartening that FIRE has been able to talk sense to Duke's administration, and that they've responded by doing the right thing and rescinding the ban. Too bad, though, that there was ever a need for such action in the first place. There's a long, long way yet to go, but FIRE's efforts certainly have us moving in the right direction.