Letter: Hosting Yiannopoulos will not foster open discussion

Dear Young Americans for Liberty at UNM,

After criticizing your organization for hosting Milo Yiannopoulos, the self-proclaimed leader of the “alt-right,” I was asked by one of your supporters to give him a chance and learn more about him. So I did - and am now more convinced than ever that your group should reconsider.

In addition to his own articles and podcasts, I listened to a three-hour conversation between Milo and Joe Rogan to understand the worldview that you believe will be of value to the UNM community. What I learned is that he does not identify himself as a white supremacist but, in a way, he’s much worse. He understands the implications of those views and appeases them for his own gain.

It pains me to see the quality of our discourse so degraded. In an attempt to prove that you value free speech, you have chosen to actively promote someone who encourages many forms of hatred and bolsters a movement in which a driving principle is one of white supremacy. I do not use that term lightly. The “alt-right’s” core belief is that western civilization is inseparable from European ethnicity. That’s racist.

I would never subject someone I care about to the discussion I heard, not because I think they are “liberal snowflakes,” but because I respect them. Milo’s ideas devalue people, degrade their humanity, and tear down the pillars of discourse that allow us to have an actual conversation about the issues facing our nation. I would, however, be comfortable opening a discourse about the dangers of limiting expressions of thoughtful dissent. To an extent, I understand your frustration about this. On the other hand, I’m skeptical of your intentions if you think Milo is the person that ought to guide this conversation.

Perhaps you think that the left has gone too far in defining the terms of the debate. I genuinely think that there’s a debate to be had and I, like you, value the first amendment. I don’t think the government should be able to silence Milo or your organization - and it’s not. But you have a responsibility to seriously consider which arguments are worth having. The value of free speech is diminished when groups claiming to promote that value use it to bolster a hateful cause.

Lastly, Milo is not an intellectual. He’s a self-serving provocateur. The cornerstone of intellectual thought is honesty and consistency, two things for which Milo shows no regard.

So I’ll make my plea on your terms: Don’t give Milo a platform at UNM. I’m not demanding that UNM administrators cancel the event. I’m asking you to reconsider whether this is a productive way to advance a valuable discussion. There are plenty of thoughtful people with different points of view on this topic. Bring them together and open a discourse on the merits. I’ll gladly join you in that conversation. But don’t tear people apart by hosting someone who openly embraces a movement of hate.

Colin Baillio
UNM alumni