Outrage at David Horowitz continues at The University of Michigan after his talk Tuesday night was cut short by security. Yesterday UM students rallied against racism and ignorance, stating that "We are here to show a united front against ignorance. It's important to show that the kind of ignorant attitude (seen in Horowitz's lecture) will not be tolerated" and that "This rally is a significant step to let people know that the students of color have allies and that his view is not the only view." Closing out with the chant "I am black and I am proud," the rally--at least as it is reported in The Michigan Daily--exhibits some of the classic confusions of left liberal thought on today's campuses.

I itemize:

• Angry students confused philosophical difference with racism: because Horowitz's point of view about reparations and affirmative action differs from theirs, he must be a racist. It hardly needs saying that this type of slanderous ad hominem logic is itself racist. I don't like your opinions; therefore, you must be evil. Also worth noting: this is an attitude that breeds anger rather than resolving it. Students truly interested in a peaceful campus and a respectfully diverse nation would do well to ask exactly how their pitbull tactics are going to help create that.
• Angry students confuse philosophical difference with ignorance, thus revealing their own ignorance. As one brave soul at the rally pointedly asked: "How many of you have read the books he mentioned? How many of you recognize the people he mentioned last night? .... The point is you can't combat something like this [someone chalking the words "Only niggers want affirmative action" on a campus sidewalk--see Tuesday's entry below] unless you are educated. I want to challenge you to read the authors Horowitz mentioned and realize that history can be twisted and torn up. Without education, you can't say anything about it. Know what you are struggling for. If you don't, then there is not point [sic] of standing out here." Horowitz has solid reasons for his position. They are neither "ignorant" nor "racist." But it sure is convenient to say they are if a) they don't sit comfortably with your own world view; and b) you don't even know what they are.
• Angry students confuse another's free expression with their own forcible silencing--even though they effectively silenced Horowitz Monday night. Horowitz--the first conservative speaker at UM since Ward Connerly, dismantler of affirmative action at the University of California, came in 1998--was asked to end the event after the Q&A session turned ugly. But by yesterday, ralliers were urging students to "keep their heads up high" and to "let the community know that black students have a voice too."

Horowitz describes the evening at frontpagemag.com.