Campus Antiwar Network History

David A. Caputo
President
Pace University
New York City, NY
president@pace.edu

March 10, 2006

Dear Dr. Caputo,

I’m writing to urge your support for several students at your University who have worked to preserve and exercise their right to free speech. I think you have an extraordinary opportunity to assure them that their initiatives are consistent with the spirit of a University, and to relieve their concerns about potential administrative repression.

In the world of “google,” it’s amazingly easy to find a quote, and this is the one which I wanted to send you as soon as I learned of this controversy. I think you will already know of Ignacio Silone’s novel, the one which he regarded as his greatest, entitled Bread and Wine. Do you recall this excerpt?

“Bianchina told Don Paolo she couldn’t understand why there was such a lot of fuss about a few inscriptions on the wall. Don Paolo was surprised, too. He tried to explain it.

“The Land of Propaganda is built on unanimity,” he said. “If one man says, ‘No,’ the spell is broken and public order is endangered. The rebel voice must be stifled.”

“Even if the voice is that of a poor, solitary sick man?”

“Even then.”

“Even if it belongs to a peaceful man who thinks in his own way, but does nothing evil apart from that?”

“Even then.”

These thoughts served to sadden the girl, but gave the man new heart. He felt ashamed of his previous discouragement.

“In the Land of Propaganda,” he said, “a man, any man, any little man who goes on thinking with his own head, imperils public order. Tons of printed paper repeat the government slogans; thousands of loud-speakers, hundreds of thousands of manifestoes and leaflets, legions of orators in the squares and at the crossroads, thousands of priests from the pulpit repeat these slogans ad nauseam, to the point of collective stupefaction. But it is enough for one little man to say ‘No!’ in his neighbor’s ear, or write ‘No!’ on the wall at night, and public order is endangered.”

Thank you in advance for every thoughtful step you and your colleagues may take to diminish any resemblance, at Pace University, of “the Land of Propaganda.”

I hope you will convey our appreciation to Brian Kelly and Lauren Giaccone for their efforts to build a world wherein it is easier to think and speak freely.

Sincerely,

Kathy Kelly
Co-coordinator, Voices for Creative Nonviolence

VOICES FOR CREATIVE NONVIOLENCE
1249 W Argyle St #2
Chicago, Illinois 60640
Phone: 773-878-3815; email: info@vcnv.org; web: www.vcnv.org