In recent days, state Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, has gained a lot of media attention by attacking the University of Wisconsin-Madison for allowing George Galloway, an anti-war member of the British Parliament, to speak on campus on Sept. 18.
He has based his objection on the fact that the Havens Center, which is based in the sociology department, is a co-sponsor of the event, leading him to claim that taxpayer money is being used to “shove” Mr. Galloway’s “pro-terrorist” views “down our throats.” I would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight.
(Patrick Barrett is administrative director of the A.E. Havens Center, which promotes critical social thought throughout the social sciences and is part of the sociology department at UW-Madison.)