At the end of the day, Liberty University can implement its extreme ideology on its students and faculty because it is an entirely private institution.
By Matt Gaydos
“I’ve always thought, if more good people had concealed-carry permits then we could end those Muslims before they walked in killing. … Let’s teach them a lesson if they ever show up here.”
Surprisingly, these are not the words of somebody leading a hateful protest against Islam. These are the words of Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr., who carried a pistol with him as he told his students that the gun ban on Liberty’s campus would be lifted the following day. Through his poor choice of words and ridiculous notion that allowing 14,000 students to arm themselves with guns would make the campus safer, Falwell is playing into the Islamophobia that is infecting our country. He has communicated to 14,000 students, who could potentially become armed in the near future, to be predisposed to hating Muslims as soon as they walk through the door.
This should come as no surprise to anybody who knows anything about the policies of Liberty, a Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Though the media’s spotlight is currently focused on Liberty because of its president’s recent words, the university is no stranger to making headlines.
For example, Liberty’s bigotry also extends to members of the LGBT community, remaining aligned with the harsh views of its founder, Jerry Falwell Sr., on homosexuals. Advocate.com reported that Liberty offers discounts to the spouses of straight military service members but denies those discounts to spouses of homosexual and trans service members. It is complete hypocrisy to take the money of homosexuals, whom they are vehemently against, yet forbid them from having the same discounts afforded to their straight counterparts.
Another example of Liberty University’s closed-mindedness was when Ted Cruz (R-TX) decided to hold his presidential announcement speech on Liberty’s campus back in March of this year. There is nothing wrong with a candidate making an announcement for a presidential bid on a campus that, for the most part, holds similar ideals, to a crowd of impressionable college students. Where the problem lies, though, is that Senator Cruz’s announcement speech was treated as part of the university’s Convocation. Liberty students are required to go to Convocation three times a week; otherwise, they face a fine. Forcing students to go to a certain politician’s speech, regardless of whether they support the candidate, with the threat of a fine is ridiculous and should be scrutinized.
At the end of the day, Liberty University can implement its extreme ideology on its students and faculty because it is an entirely private institution — as is LMU. And the truth is that I’m thankful that I go to a university such as LMU. I’m thankful that this place is welcoming to all people, from all walks of life and political views, regardless of whether they are aligned with the institution’s Catholic values. LMU, like any school, is not perfect, but it achieves a fine balance between staying true to the spirit of the Jesuit values that it is founded on and not discriminating against others. And this makes me proud to be a Lion.
Originally published by The Los Angeles Loyolan, 12.11.2015.