There's no better way to get out your political agenda during an election year than making yourself accessible to everyone. That's exactly what Michael Moore was aiming to do next Tuesday here at MSU. Unfortunately, event security could not be organized fast enough.
When a campus organization wants to host an event that expects to attract large crowds, it has to notify MSU police 21 days in advance. If ASMSU - which was working to organize Moore's visit - was to hammer out details tomorrow that would confirm a visit by the portly documentary maker, it would place the speech in mid-October, right before the election. We understand Moore's busy schedule, but understand that the Oscar winner for best documentary was offering to appear at no charge to the university, and more importantly, at no charge to you.
While other speakers might not be as cagey or controversial as Moore, hopefully conservative speakers will scramble at the chance to speak at MSU with the same fervor Moore exhibited. If the anti-Moore crowd wants a counterpart, try and land the anti-Moore Bill O'Reilly to speak here for free.
Ideally, if a conservative speaker does volunteer to come for free, they should be as prominent as Moore. The problem with the presidential campaigns and conventions this year is that they've been ignoring the undecided voter. An open, honest and intelligent dialogue between different views is essential. People should have the civility and tact to be able to listen to opposing views without getting violent or emotional.
To open campaign stops only to supporters, like those in the Bush campaign do, is in gross opposition to the spirit of democracy. Running from opposition shows nothing more than cowardice. Speakers have a duty to get people talking. If they're shutting out half the crowd in the first place, this can't happen.
Please remember, though, that "free" and "Moore" would not mean "liberals only." There were a great number of Democrats and undecided voters who would have liked to hear what the Bush daughters had to say when they were on campus, but it was a Republicans-only event. Political rallies that preach to the choir make little impact and are a practice deserving of our contempt.
Political agendas are meant to be dispersed, not concentrated; caging ideas in rooms full of like-minded people are their death sentence, which is why we highly encourage conservative-minded folks to hear Moore out, should his visit occur in the future.
ASMSU, we call on you to keep the lines of communication open with the Moore camp and secure his visit to campus before the general election in November. In the interest of raising the levels of political dialogue on this campus, his visit would benefit all who would come to see him speak. From the liberals who cheer him on to conservatives who consider him everything wrong with the left, he still matters to MSU.
