How the University of Wyoming became like Cuba

The Cuban government and the University of Wyoming have something in common: They have found that their unwarranted attempts to squelch free speech have backfired, resulting in giving more attention, not less, to those they tried to silence.

In Cuba, a tiny group of dissidents known as the Damas de Blanco (Women in White) have been demonstrating regularly for years — and were basically never noticed. Earlier this month, the Cuban government, not exactly fond of grass-roots democracy (or any kind of democracy), decided it had had enough, so it told the Damas that their days of protesting were over. Rather than arresting them, however, it subjected them to a campaign of harassment. The result? On Sunday, when Cuba held municipal elections across the country, almost nobody outside Cuba paid attention. But the handful of Damas were surrounded by international news media, publicizing the women's cause throughout the world.

And in Wyoming, when a student group invited terrorist-cum-professor Bill Ayers to speak on campus, the UW president banned his appearance on campus. The result was a federal lawsuit, likely to be decided today, in which Ayers and a student are seeking an injunction to allow him to speak on campus (he also has an off-campus speech scheduled). Regardless of what the judge decides, the media will flock to Ayers, giving him attention he never would have received without the attempted censorship.

The UW president testified in court that he barred Ayers solely because of safety concerns, but almost nobody believes him. Never mind that there was almost no relaying of threats to the city's police force, nor that the police chief said that a security for a speech by Ayers would manageable. For more likely it is that the school's wealthy donors made their wishes known.

Free speech is difficult. The First Amendment is difficult. Sometimes people spread unpopular ideas. Sometimes people who don't deserve a forum — and Ayers, with his past support for violence, very well could be one of them — end up getting one. But consider the alternative: Do we really want a government like Cuba's or Burma's?