Dear Editor:
….Farrell, who previously endorsed Barrett as being qualified to teach his course despite his beliefs, now states that he sent Barrett a letter warning him to stop associating himself with the school while promoting his beliefs and to stop seeking publicity for his views. Farrell said he will reconsider his decision to allow Barrett to teach unless Barrett complies with his requests.
….I certainly hope the University of Wisconsin is not succumbing to the pressure from some nervous individuals to suppress one of its most fundamental assets, the freedom of its employees, from the president to the dustman, to express their views on matters of public interest.
The university is a place where all ideas are welcome and subjected to the scrutiny of all who care to engage in debate. The University of Wisconsin prides itself in its commitment to “sifting and winnowing.” Anything that stands in the way of this can only be considered a negation of freedom of speech and thought. Nothing could be more stifling in an intellectual environment.