sharpen wits all. around and frequently provide the impetus needed to get con—
structive things underway. The environment of a liberal campus ought to
accommodate these points of view, even when th rhett ic and the manners of
their spokesmen border on the abrasive. ltieally. the expre. ion of differ—
ent points of view is 591ticoffecting, in the ' .se that uhcn they come to~
gether in the marl<et~place of ideas on the campt~ what is wise, sensible,
and human will eventually prevail.

This position, however, has always rested on the assumption that argu—
ment and disagreement will be based on the ground rules of rational discuSm
sion: that is to say, on at least a modicum of reciprocity in Se]f»rest’rain—
ing civility, on the absence of ad homin Q arguements, and of armetwisting
coercion. The ground»rules are seldom ohserxer’ perfectly, of course: one
makes allowances for an excess of temper in a lleate discussion when beliefs
and opinions are strongly held, But, as l romaked a few moments ago, I
think we sometimes witne . at Grinnell a decree of incivility and rudeness
that is unpleasantly C1)SG to intimidation. I referred to it. as the abu—
sive power of the minor ty, in the belief that most students and faculty
are not involved in it but rather victims ol‘ it.

As president, I am most cTithall\ aware of it when viiitors -» invited
speakers> parents. alumni, and friends —7 are on the campus. Let me say
quickly that I am not peaking of what those of my age with a slowing metar
bolic rate refer to as youthful high jinxs or of the natural enthusiasm oi
collegians to have run at the expense or their elders. I do not refer to
”spontaneous happenings” or the OB Squad (at its best) or student refer—
endums or proposals. I refer rather to uhat l t. nk is an oyeriy selfA
conscious attempt to seize the opportunity presented by a captive audience
to confront visitors by actions deSigned to ”tell it like it i.." Because
the actions are not repre. 1tativ0 or the majority of students ind faculty,
they give an impres 'nn o the College that is partial and sensational. The
tolerance of most students and faculty accommodates such antics rather easily
Grinnell is a place where people who want to do their own thing tend to be
regarded with inc‘iuerenco or amusement or real enjoyment.

but visitor to the c;npu., whether they b alumni or parents or other—
wise, tend to have far lower thresholds of tolerance. No one wants them
presented with a slicked up and smoothed down show in which we all. behave
like Madison Avenue angels, We aren't up to that kind of hypocrisy, and
even if we were, alumni and parents. especially th» latter, would see
through us immediately. All l me n is that our visitors ought to have the
opportunity to see. us for our real variety ol’ temperament., our constructive
instincts as well as our disorderly ones. oul solid as well as our silly
side . We depend upon our \isitors‘: especially alumni and parents, for much
of the moral and material support that makes the College 90. We get it by
letting them see the whole of a lively college in action, not by intimidat—
ing them into believing that this campus is a place where everyone's notion
of dissent and protest is exhibited in melodramatic and obtrusive ways.

About such matte)" or attitude and beha ioral style there is probably
very little the administration of the College can do. The power of the
College rests on the authority of rational discussion belheen learners and
teachers and on the stabilizing procedures of due process: in short, on
the commitment to academic freedom. The Collcrze has no police lorce; its
doors. real and figurative, are open. E copt tor necessary security against
fire, theft, and dalvrage. students, faculty. and vi .lorr come and go rather
much as they plee . Such an enVJronment ought to be < model of how civil—
ized people can live together when they believe the privilege Ql expressing
their feelings incurs the obligation or letting others have the same privil-
ege. To take the privilege and not the obligation in one conversational
behavior is discourteous. To exercise the privilege phy ically is tyranny,
and a denial of how any community; especially an academic community, ought
to be operatingr ll we see) to he l':ead;ng toward such an unl‘or Lunate state
of affairs, then we ought to have some open»enrlorl exchanges among ourselves
in hopes that we can find a way to change our direction, for we are all

 

