Dear Editor:

I am writing on behalf of the College Democrats, who feel that it is necessary to respond to the misleading statements made by members of the College Republicans in the February 15 issue of Student Life regarding the events surrounding Alberto Gonzales’ visit to Washington University.

The president and vice president of the College Republicans both claimed that our leadership “just refuses” to meet with Mr. Gonzales for a small group discussion. This portrayal is incredibly disingenuous. When the College Republicans brought the idea of the discussion forward, we were enthusiastic and expressed interest in participating. When we expressed concern over the discussion being at the same time as our protest, we were not met with the anger and criticisms that were brought forth in Student Life, but rather told that an accommodation could be reached and we were offered the option of attending the dinner after the event as an alternative. The entire board of the College Democrats wanted to meet with Alberto Gonzales and still would; however, we feel obligated to take part in the protest that we organized and asked students to participate in. But we are now being attacked for not taking part in the discussion and have been uninvited from the dinner that we wished to attend so we would have a chance to interact with Mr. Gonzales.

I also take issue with the repeated statements of College Republicans President Charis Fischer against our decision to engage in protest. First, she stated that, “It is ironic how a party that weds itself to the First Amendment selectively abandons that principle when a Republican speaker is involved.” Now, she says that we let our “partisanship and preoccupation with protest get in the way of meaningful discourse.” I find these comments insulting. This protest is our attempt to express our opinions regarding issues associated with Alberto Gonzales, the very thing that the First Amendment protects. And to say that protesting is not a form of meaningful discourse is absurd.

What disappoints me more than these unjustified allegations and unnecessary insults is how the discussion of this event has degraded to such a petty low. Although I vehemently disagree with his politics, I was energized to hear that Gonzales was speaking at our University because I felt it was a great opportunity for discussion of issues. We should be debating issues, discussing whether government should tap citizens’ phones to find suspects, detain suspects without trial or charge, or torture detainees to acquire information. Yet instead, we are being forced to argue about our activities and to defend our decision to engage in a basic form of free speech.

I want to focus on what matters, and for that reason, I am proud to be taking part in the protest this Tuesday.

-Jake Laperruque
Class of 2010
Campaign Coordinator
Washington University College Democrats

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