I first learned about the campus controversy surrounding the visit of preachers Jeremiah Baldwin and Jed Smock through a friend and after reading about them in the Emerald (“Traveling preachers stir campus,” ODE, May 31). I knew I had to see them for myself. When I arrived at the EMU just before 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, I expected, and hoped, to witness the demise of the hateful Baldwin and Smock at the hands of Oregon students powered with intellect and reason. What I did witness, however, was quite the contrary.
I listened to Smock preach for about 45 minutes in front of the EMU, and during that time the vast majority of students failed to show any intellect or reason and instead displayed acts of hate, immaturity and disrespect. At many moments during this time, Smock behaved in a similar fashion, but I would have hoped to expect much more from my peers. Just because Baldwin and Smock brought hate onto our campus doesn’t make it OK for us to do the same.
Our voices will never be heard if we continue to make unintelligent arguments using profanity and profane hand gestures. Students who use these tactics are not only failing to accomplish their goals, but are also fueling the fire of others who disrespect our opinions. No wonder Baldwin and Smock consider the West Coast to be the worst place to preach; we certainly haven’t changed their minds.
University students reacted in a similar fashion when an anti-abortion group visited campus a few weeks ago. It’s no wonder these conflicts continue to divide Americans and others throughout the world. The hateful rhetoric of Baldwin and Smock should have been torn to pieces, but because of our poor argumentative skills, we accomplished nothing. We are supposed to be the educated and the enlightened, but it seemed to me from my experience on Tuesday that it is easier for students to crack jokes and use profanity toward those who they disagree with rather than asking educated questions and making intellectual arguments.
We become upset with Baldwin and Smock because we believe them to be ignorant and because they refuse to listen to what we have to say. Yet University students reacted to them in the same way, ignorant to their message and refusing to listen. I am not implying that the preaching of Baldwin and Smock contained any reason, because I don’t believe it did. What I am saying is that if we expect to be heard, we must listen and try to understand our opponents.
Fortunately, during my attendance at the EMU, I was privileged enough to witness a few students effectively communicate with Baldwin and Smock. When these incidences occurred, I found that both Baldwin and Smock responded to these questions with understanding and respect, responding only negatively to hateful, immature and disrespectful questions and comments.
It is time for University students to grow up and stop throwing a fit when we get upset because in the real world that doesn’t work. We need to show our opponents the reason, humility and tolerance our college education is supposed to provide us with, and maybe then our opponents will began to listen to what we have to say. Only then can we can began to effectively influence the world around us.