Georgia’s public universities will continue to protect civil debate and free expression on campuses, University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue said the day after a conservative activist was shot and killed at Utah Valley University.
Charlie Kirk, 31, was speaking Wednesday at a debate hosted by Turning Point USA, the nonprofit political organization he cofounded to engage young conservatives. He was shot while on stage. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called it “a political assassination.”
“Yesterday’s events reminded me just how important it is to protect civil debate and open dialogue on our campuses,” Perdue said in a statement Thursday. “As educators, we have a responsibility to ensure that our students, faculty and staff can speak freely and respectfully, without fear of being unlawfully silenced or disrupted.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday was part of “The American Comeback Tour,” which invited attendees to debate Kirk on political topics. The event was controversial at the school, the UVU Review reported, with some students starting an online petition to reconsider the decision to let him speak. The university issued a statement ahead of the event to affirm its commitment to “free speech, intellectual inquiry and constructive dialogue.”
Kirk spoke several times on Georgia campuses. He and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy held events at Georgia State University and the University of Georgia in October for Turning Point’s action coalition.
Perdue said in his statement that preparing students for citizenship means teaching them “to disagree without being disagreeable.” Perdue, a former governor, echoed other Georgia leaders who expressed sympathy and alarm over deepening polarization in the country.
The University System of Georgia will continue to defend academic freedom and ensure students have a safe environment in which to learn, Perdue said: “That balance is essential to who we are, and to the future we are helping our students shape.”
FULL STATEMENT FROM CHANCELLOR SONNY PERDUE
“I’m saddened by the passing of Charlie Kirk, whose voice in the national conversation on free expression reminds us of the importance of protecting open dialogue on our campuses.
“Yesterday’s events reminded me just how important it is to protect civil debate and open dialogue on our campuses. As educators, we have a responsibility to ensure that our students, faculty and staff can speak freely and respectfully, without fear of being unlawfully silenced or disrupted.
“I believe deeply in the power of the First Amendment. Free speech is not only about the right to speak — it is also about the responsibility to listen. When we teach students to disagree without being disagreeable, we are preparing them for more than careers. We are preparing them for citizenship in a democracy that depends on both free expression and mutual respect.
“At the University System of Georgia and our 26 public colleges and universities, we will continue to defend academic freedom and free expression, while also ensuring that every student has the opportunity to learn in a respectful and safe environment. That balance is essential to who we are, and to the future we are helping our students shape.”
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