Reckless charge hits UNM
IN A DEMOCRACY like ours we value the free expression of differing opinions — it’s what sets us apart and gives us strength as a nation. But with that freedom comes responsibility. In the marketplace of ideas, we have an obligation to speak sincerely and truthfully, trusting in the power of our ideas to persuade others.
Not everyone shares these values, unfortunately. During an anti-abortion rally staged on the University of New Mexico campus last week by two members of Congress and local activists, the university was accused of breaking the law by profiting from the sale of fetal tissue resulting from elective abortions.
That is simply not true, as university leaders have repeatedly stated. There are no facts whatsoever to back up the claim.
However, absence of evidence did not prevent members of the House Select Panel on Infant Lives from asking the New Mexico attorney general to launch a criminal investigation of the university.
In America, recklessly accusing someone of committing a crime without any evidence crosses a moral and ethical line. Such shock tactics may excite support among partisan supporters but in the long run corrode our ability to peacefully negotiate our differences and participate in our ongoing experiment in self-government.
Calling someone a criminal creates a taint of suspicion and damages their good name. Worse, in an emotionally charged environment it exposes them to real danger. We need only remember the three innocent victims — including a law enforcement officer — who were murdered at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic in November 2015 to understand what can happen when passions are inflamed and we dehumanize our opponents.
Abortion rights supporters and anti-abortion activists have been sharply divided for more than a generation. Clearly, the beliefs on both sides of this contentious issue rest on deeply held moral principles. We should always respect and defend each other’s right to hold and express such beliefs, regardless of whether we agree with them.
But the truth also deserves our respect. Making rash, unfounded accusations and seeking to criminalize our political differences sets us down a dangerous path. It (is a disservice to) our democracy and has no place in our political debate. It needs to stop.
MARIA GRIEGO-RABY Former UNM regent