5/6/2009
TOM WARD - Tancredo's ideas deserve reasoned debate



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When colleges ban speakers and run from debate instead of encouraging it, I take note.

When I am preached to about tolerance, and forced to watch those who lecture me demonstrate intolerance of other points of view, I can't help but wonder.

Such was the case last week at Providence College, where former Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo was invited to speak at the college by a small splinter group of about 30 students calling themselves Youth for Western Civilization. According to the Providence Journal, "PC sophomore Timothy Dionisopoulos said he recently started the PC group because the College Republicans - whom he identified as 'right wing' - are not taking on the issues."

Tancredo, who wasn't allowed on campus, is certainly one of the most strident voices in America on the topic of immigration law enforcement, and he's just one of many voices who wonder why our nation has decided to only weakly enforce existing immigration laws. Many opponents of runaway illegal immigration are as angry at spineless, pandering political officials as they are angry at the poor who cross our southern border.

Like many others, I believe that there are many good, hard-working Hispanics coming here to work for a better life. They may come here illegally, but I'm not so sure my French-Canadian ancestors came flooding into Woonsocket to work the mills more than 100 years ago in a legal and organized fashion, either.

On the other hand, it's not the late-1800s anymore, and reasoned Americans question if we can absorb the hard workers along with the financial burden of criminals and ne'er-do-wells. Today's United States is a different nation than it was a century ago, and supporters of the human rights of illegal immigrants can't bury their heads in the sand and not at least accept the premise that some come here for the wrong reasons, including free housing, education, public aid, and hospitalization they cannot get in their home countries. For asking these honest questions, some Americans get to be called "Nazis," or "White Supremacists." But in my view, those who engage in the name calling are the cowardly and intolerant who simply won't take a deep breath and debate the issue.

Tancredo flew into the firestorm last week and was probably a bit perplexed. Allowed only to speak outside the gates of PC, he said "I do not know what you (PC student demonstrators) have been told about me, about what I believe and about what Youth for Western Civilization are all about. I've heard a lot of nasty stuff, that's for sure. I've been told that we are a hate group - white supremacists, racists is always thrown into the mix, someplace. From my point of view this has absolutely nothing to do with race. Never has, never will," according to the Journal.

Providence College had the right to deny Tancredo's speech at the college, as the new group had not yet received official recognition by the school. And to give credit to the students, they behaved masterfully, mounting a quiet, dignified protest that contrasted brightly with the mess which had occurred two weeks ago with Tancredo's visit to the University of North Carolina, where the intolerant and closed minded students had to be pepper sprayed.

It's too bad the school year is ending. I'd love to see the student group get recognized, and Tancredo re-invited.

According to the Journal, a flyer was handed out to the student protesters. It read "hate is not a PC value, and we are disturbed by former Congressman Tancredo's message. We do not wish to censor him, however, as we are open to debate and discussion regarding controversial issues."

To Providence College administration and students, I say, "Prove it."

- Ward is publisher of

The Valley Breeze newspapers

www.valleybreeze.com