University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill has become a great champion of free speech in recent days, making clear that the university "fiercely support[s] the free exchange of ideas as central to our educational mission."
These are, of course, not heartfelt sentiments from the leader of a school trying to set a precedent by yanking tenure away from one of its own professors for her politically incorrect statements.
No, Magill draped herself in the mantle of free expression as the school played host over the weekend to the Palestine Writes festival, which included a gaggle of anti-Semites. Among them was the former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters, who has donned Nazi regalia and hung an inflatable pig adorned with a Jewish star from the rafters at his concerts.
In her statement, Magill noted that "many have raised deep concerns" about the anti-Semitic views of some of the speakers. She did not indicate whether she shared them. The school newspaper noted "past comments labeled as antisemitic by some." In other words: That's just your opinion, man! Meanwhile, the atmosphere on campus in Philadelphia is such that, in the past week, the university Chabad's sukkah and Hillel buildings were vandalized, and a swastika was found at a university building.
