Editor’s note: Attacks on higher learning...

One of the selling points of Chicago, in my opinion, is the variety of higher education institutions that are headquartered here. Many of them offer doctoral degrees (University of Illinois Chicago, Loyola, Chicago State, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, just to name a few).

This, of course, doesn’t guarantee that our general populace is any smarter or more cultured than average, but it’s safe to say that one has a better chance of running into a PhD here than in other parts of the country. And there are benefits to having colleges around, even if you’re not an enrolled student, staffer, or faculty member. You can attend free public programs, like lecture series and talks, and have access to scholars. Many of these institutions contribute to our city’s cultural offerings by holding art exhibitions or music recitals. Colleges are the place where people learn about the big ideas and come up with ideas for changing the world. . . . And the freedom to deliver these big thoughts and new bits of information is what our world needs. Right? 

Not everyone agrees with this theory, as we’re seeing especially starkly at places of higher learning throughout the country. Colleges and universities are places where people can (and should) learn about our fundamental right to assemble and express our views through protest. But many schools are being desecrated by federal funding cuts and political interference. Even Harvard hasn’t escaped the madness.

Universities are prime sites of dissent, critique, and critical thinking, and the power of the people having original thought flies in the face of fascism. Succumbing to the Trump administration’s strategy of cutting out collective understanding of the world would be tantamount to setting our universities on fire and walking away. We must protect free speech and expression, whether on campus or off.