This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2004, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Regarding “Politics pull the plug on Utah writer's Florida gig,” (Tribune, Oct. 10), I read with astonishment and dismay about President Merwin's decision to “postpone,” for blatant political reasons, the appearance of Terry Tempest Williams at Florida Gulf Coast University. In doing so, President Merwin (and the university trustees) violated their own published Mission and Guiding Principles; specifically these two statements: “the University vigorously protects freedom of inquiry and expression” and “diversity is a source of renewal and vitality.”
President Merwin's actions fall in the same “freedom of expression” category as the censure and imprisonment of Galileo and the book burning of the Nazis. Yes, that's harsh but unfortunately true. The suppression of diverging views is contrary to all that this country stands for and undermines the basic foundations of any university's existence. To protect himself from the wrath of the Bush family, President Merwin has proved himself to be an academic coward.
Robert Henderson
Wilson, Wyo.
