by James A. Bacon
A familiar tactic of the left has come to Virginia: accuse your enemy of being fascist… while acting like a fascist yourself.
A movement has surfaced to disinvite conservative journalist Matt Walsh from Washington & Lee University on the grounds, according to a petition signed by more than 600 students and faculty members, that his words “represent a very real threat of physical violence against trans and nonbinary people specifically, but also to all women, queer people, and people of color.”
Walsh, who has billed himself “Transphobe of the Year,” has written extensively about the excesses of the transgender movement, focusing particular attention on the dangers of “gender-affirming” hormonal treatments and sex-change surgery. Following Walsh’s accusations that Boston Children’s Hospital was “mutilating” children through surgery, the petition charges, the hospital said its workers were harassed and faced threats of violence.
Adding fuel to the controversy, Blake Ramsey, a student and former vice president of the W&L Democratic Party, posted on Instagram an image of the hanging of Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini. The caption read, “Because Matt Walsh is now apparently speaking at this school, I thought I would post an important reminder of what happens to fascists.”
One might suggest that Ramsey was speaking only for himself, not those signing the petition. But it appears that many shared his sentiment. The post had received 258,000 likes by the time the image was digitally captured.
Real-world fascists shut down speakers who opposed them. Matt Walsh hasn’t called for stifling anybody’s right to speak. Only the woke do. Who are the real fascists here?
For details of the controversy read Kamron Spivey’s article in The W&L Spectator.
The Dudley administration at W&L has proven itself objectionable on many grounds, but it deserves credit for permitting Walsh to speak at the university and for sticking to its guns. Now that campus radicals have challenged Walshes right to appear at W&L, it’s more important than ever that the administration stand resolute in support of free speech.
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