Page 16 THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1979
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TO DISPEL A MYTH
This statement is designed to dispel what
we hope is a myth. Students, faculty, and
administrators continue to be troubled by the
belief that new ideas — which inevitably chal
lenge and criticize old ideas — are not wel
come at Texas A&M. A student in a class
room is afraid to write a critical letter to the
Battalion lest “something happen to her.” A
faculty member refuses to join a relatively
staid organization because he “doesn’t have
tenure yet.” An administrator wants to be
quoted anonymously because he doesn’t
want to “get into trouble.” Such vague fears
have had a serious impact. Students, faculty,
and administrators moving to the Texas A&M
campus from other universities are as
tonished by the absence of a vigorous spirit of
criticism, the only kind of atmosphere that can
generate the ideas necessary to grapple with
our rapidly changing times.
John Stuart Mill, in his renowned essay
“On Liberty,” provides three reasons for
encouraging new, challenging, critical ideas.
First, the new idea may be true. If this new
idea is suppressed, we are denied the oppor
tunity of exchanging falsehood for truth. Sec
ond, even if the new idea is in error, it may
contain a portion of the truth. Through the
conflict of this idea with other ideas, the whole
truth may emerge. Third, even if the new idea
is totally false and the old idea is absolutely
true, the old idea can be strengthened when
advocates are forced to defend it. These ad
vocates will develop a greater appreciation of
the reasons supporting it.
The importance of encouraging new ideas
has been demonstrated by the very rise of
science that has helped move our university
toward greatness. Unfortunately, science has
not always been as well received as it is to
day. The example of the brilliant Galileo and
the Church’s attempts to suppress his work
comes perhaps most quickly to mind. Nobody
denies that science should have undergone
rigorous criticism, and no innovator should
work under the illusion that he or she will
necessarily be thanked for disturbing the
status quo. But criticism should stop short of
punitive measures and their threat. The bene
fits of science over the centuries remain
strong arguments for the spirit of toleration.
We have seen no consistent pattern of
punitive measures leveled at those who have
promoted new ideas, challenges, and criti
cism at Texas A&M. No doubt a few mis
guided student leaders, faculty members, or
administrators may have leveled such mea
sures in the past. But recently we have seen
members of the university body strongly
encourage new approaches, which have
been so necessary at a time when the univer
sity has been expanding rapidly and striving
hard for greater excellence. Even the most
severe critics must admit that the university
has handled the severe problems of growth
with a minimum of disruption. Such a transi
tion can only have been accomplished
through a receptivity to change.
A university must have faith that false criti
cism will be exposed as such, that criticism
containing a portion of the truth can be used
to improve our situation, that true criticism will
be acted upon as swiftly as possible. The
university must continue to be the citadel of
truth throughout the world. We encourage
students, faculty, and administrators of Texas
A&M to do whatever they can to dispel the
myth of the suppression of the spirit of criti
cism. As Mill writes, “the peculiar evil of
silencing the expression of an opinion is, that
it is robbing the human race; posterity as well
as the existing generation ....”
Brazos Civil Liberties Union
A&M Civil Liberties Union
Box 1116
College Station, Tx 77840