Jim Gilchrist of the Minuteman Project was scheduled to speak at a Harvard University immigration conference tomorrow. However, he's now been disinvited by the group that organized the event, the Harvard Undergraduate Legal Committee (hcs.harvard.edu/~legalcom). Per them (link):

"Mr. Gilchrist’s participation in the conference on the behalf of the Minutemen Project was not compatible with providing an environment for civil, educational, and productive discourse on immigration, and we cannot host him at this time."

In other words, they're either far-lefties who don't appreciate open debate and/or far-lefties who don't appreciate open debate put pressure on them and they caved. They're also implicitly admitting that they aren't smart enough to show how they think Gilchrist is wrong.

Per Gilchrist (link):

"For almost six months student sponsors of Harvard’s Public Interest and Law Conference have planned for my appearance at Harvard University, but the minute they received threats from fellow students these pre-law students shied away from defending free speech... That future graduates of the most renowned university in the world are literally afraid to support the very cornerstone of the foundation of our nation, namely ‘free speech,’ ought to frighten anyone looking to America as the beacon of liberty, freedom, and justice for all."

I'm not a tremendous fan of either him or of Chris Simcox; illegal immigration can be reduced much more simply than with fences and civilian patrols by using leverage (discrediting politicians in order to force them to do their jobs; see the question authority summary). However, he should be allowed to speak and Harvard students should be grown-up enough to engage him in debate. Obviously, those students are lacking in various ways.

Please send polite emails to the two contacts for the Legal Committee: Dwight Pope (dbpope*at*fas.harvard.edu) and Ada Pema (adapema*at*fas.harvard.edu).

UPDATE: One of the little fascists who helped get Gilchrist disinvited is Harvard student Kyle de Beausset. He lamely tries to defend his actions at citizenorange.com/orange/2009/10/i-am-one-of-the-unnamed-anarch.html and he also appeared on Fox News with Juan Williams and basically just repeated what he wrote at the link. Even Williams could have shown de Beausette for what he is, if he had had more time. As it was, most people will have seen why those like Kyle de Bossette would not want to debate their opponents but instead try to silence them: he'd lose against anyone who's even slightly skilled at debating.