Nixon Redux?

To the editors of The Crimson:

On Tuesday, December 5 The Crimson published an editorial condemning the Harvard republican club for inviting former President Richard M. Nixon to speak here next spring. We were described as being "opportunistic" and we were also insured that "it would, in short, be a damned shame and an insult" were Mr. Nixon to address a Harvard audience.

Every year the Republican Club invites several persons to the Harvard campus to discuss interesting, relevant and controversial topics of the day. We have also co-sponsored events with groups not likely to think republican (such as the Gay Student Association over the issue of guaranteed seats in the Student Assembly).

There are many reasons for inviting Richard Nixon to address the Harvard community: two in particular should be commented on here. First, President Nixon represented a special movement within the Republican Party, and demonstrated an ability to bring liberal and conservative Republicans into the same administration. He inaugurated the first negative income tax and developed the concept of revenue sharing. He has always been well respected abroad, ending the Vietnam War and opening the door to China. In terms of policy, he is a very important figure in our era and very bit as educational as other public officials routinely invited to Harvard. But secondly Nixon's visit to Harvard will be a test of how respectful Harvard students truly are of free speech. Undoubtably there will be demonstrators outside the hall, but are they open-minded enough to listen and ask meaningful questions once they are inside?

We would also like to note that no members of The Crimson Editorial Board contacted the Executive Board of the Republican Club before year editorial appeared in order to obtain our reasons for inviting Mr. Nixon. To describe our actions as being "opportunistic" is indeed insulting when it represents purely uninformed and biased opinion. We hope the Editorial Board will in the future be more responsible in expressing its opinions and try harder to show all viewpoints before commenting on any particular issue. Michael T. Kerr '81