Marquette University – Guilty Of False Advertising?

In his latest column, McCarthyism at Marquette, Professor Mike Adams comments on the recent decision by Marquette University officials to shut down the College Republican Support the Troops fundraiser for adoptasniper.com on the basis that it was incompatible with the values of Marquette as a Catholic university. Adams questions that, in light of certain other activities permitted at or sponsored by the university.

You have been quoted, Dean McCarthy, as saying that the CR benefit does not “comport to the University’s mission.” Your communications office (414.288.7445) has issued an official statement accusing the CRs of “having a cavalier attitude toward the taking of a human life.”

I found the university’s official statement to be interesting since your own library refers to Planned Parenthood as “an excellent resource for information on women's health and global reproduction issues.” Furthermore, Marquette’s Association of English Graduate Students (http://www.marquette.edu/aegs/) is
allowed to promote Planned Parenthood on your website. Could it be argued
that Planned Parenthood has “a cavalier attitude toward the taking of a human
life?”

I also noticed that there will be a Gay and Straight Alliance (http://www.marquette.edu/um/pastoral/glb/)“rose sale” on Valentine’s Day at Marquette University. Does that sale
“comport” with the university’s mission of promoting a “Catholic
identity?”

You have, according to my research, at least two gay organizations on campus. Both organizations seem to enjoy “unfettered pursuit of truth” at Marquette. They are allowed freedom of speech on your website and freedom of association on your campus. Although, as a private school, you are not bound by the First Amendment, you seem to grant these organizations certain rights voluntarily, in the name of academic freedom.

So, how are we to resolve the university’s position that, a) pro-abortion speech is permissible, b) pro-gay speech is permissible, and c) pro-war speech is impermissible?

The answer is simple: Marquette University is not committed to serving God or the Catholic Church. It is committed to advancing the policies of the Democratic
Party.

That observation seems accurate to me. Marquette is being very selective in terms of which elements of Catholic theology it is supporting. In doing so, it is following the tenets of the liberal political correctness that has infected much of higher education over the last few decades. Could you imagine the outcry over the university shutting down one of the gay groups?

Having made a pretty damning indictment of the Jesuit institution of higher education. If he stopped there, though, the good professor would have dealt a stinging blow to the university. But as anyone familiar with his work knows, that is not his style. Adams continues on to make a startling demand, based upon the fraud he has demonstrated.

Clearly, the true purpose of your university has not been revealed to potential students at Marquette. Instead, they have been fraudulently induced into paying $22,950 per year in tuition under the false promise of, among other things, academic freedom.

Accordingly, I hereby demand a tuition refund in the amount of $23 million. This refund should be distributed to the 1000 members of the College Republicans at Marquette immediately. Since you are the 124,873rd person to receive this letter from me, it is likely that others will be calling upon you (at 414.288.1412) to do the same.

If, for some reason, you refuse to refund the full amount in 30 days, I will ask the CRs to stop engaging in right wing or, as you say, “provocative” tactics, such as the organization of an Adopt a Sniper benefit. Instead, I will urge them to engage in more liberal tactics. Specifically, I will urge the 1000 members to overtake your office with a sit-in, just like the radical leftists did on campuses in the 1960s.

I don’t know that I agree with Dr. Adams’ solution here. It seems simplistic to me. After all, some of those students have been at the university for multiple years It strikes me that the full amount due in refunds should be at least double his proposed total (assuming each member has averaged two years at Marquette), if not an amount closer to $50 million. And this does not get into the question of damages for the devaluing of their degree, nor the necessary expense of acquiring the Catholic formation they believed they would get at Marquette. And then there are the punitive damages, which could take the total well over the $100 million mark.