Shameful.

Not to put too fine a point on it: some subset of UNC's students appears to be comprised of incredibly stupid people.

This semester a small chapter (just eight members) of a student group called Youth For Western Civilization formed on campus, with a visibility of almost zero. I'm not going to link to them; their website makes them look like unsophisticated nativists looking to provoke.

And provoke they did.

I never would have heard of them—almost no one would have heard of them—had not some other student group blanketed the campus with posters accusing Youth For Western Civilization of white supremacy. In announcing their protest, this group did all the publicity work that Youth for Western Civilization could have hoped for.

So when Tom Tancredo showed up, it seems he got an audience of about 150 listeners (not necessarily supporters!). I'd be very curious to know how many of them only heard about the event from protesters.

And the protesters shut Tancredo down. They opened up a poster in front of him, they shouted him down, and they did whatever they could to keep him from talking. When the police cleared them out, they broke a window outside. Tancredo left without delivering his speech.

“No dialogue with hate”? What on this wide green earth do protesters think they're doing? Youth for Western Civilization could not have hoped for a better outcome. Speeches on immigration reform are almost always boring and forgettable. A group of angry students threatening a speaker with violence? That's going to show up in David Horowitz's books for years to come. To say it again: this is exactly what the right wing wanted. Hope you enjoyed your games, campus protesters, because you've done everything you could have possibly done to help the people you're trying to oppose.

For example, expect to see this line again and again and again:

“Fascists are fascists,” Tancredo said. “Their actions were probably the best speech I could ever give. They are what's wrong with America today. ... When all you can do is yell epithets, that means you are intellectually bankrupt.”

Daily Tar Heel's story here. This whole mess is a disgrace.

(Shaky handheld) Youtube 1 and Youtube 2.

UPDATE: In the comments on another DTH article, Christine Crowther explains that it wasn't everyone.

“I'm a new student here, just started this semester, and I have come to love UNC. Really love it. I love how involved the students are, and how passionate, and yes, how diverse our campus is. But I have honestly never been more thoroughly disappointed with the immature and counterproductive actions of a few students.

“I went to Bingham Hall to protest Tom Tancredo's ideas, and those of Youth for Western Civilization. I did not go to keep Tancredo from speaking. I, and many others in the audience, wore white ribbons to symbolize the fact that we wanted a peaceful demonstration, and were generally quiet and respectful. I dont know anything about what happened outside. What I do know is that as soon as someone got up to introduce the speaker, several individuals started yelling obscenities, shouting 'racist', and generally making it impossible for the person making the introduction to be heard. The fact that there was no sound system set up and the room was at capacity made the situation much worse.

“However, I would like to point out that the vast majority of the protesters in the room shushed these individuals, and called out 'let him speak'. When the banner reading "no dialogue with hate" was placed across the front of the room, the general sentiment in the room was that it ought to be moved, and Tancredo ought to be allowed to speak. On different occasions, representatives of the Hispanic students' organization, and others, appealed to people for respect.

“The crowd did finally calm down. Tancredo did begin to speak, everything was going well, and suddenly a window shattered inwards towards seated students, protesters, and the audience at large. We were stunned. I think I speak for most people in the room when I say that it felt like a major defeat, to have such a random, violent thing happen when everyone had been convinced to listen.

“I am deeply hurt and angered that such a minority was able to hijack what could have been a space for dialogue. I fail to understand how the liberal majority on this campus could be so threatened by the expression of radically conservative ideas that they would try to discourage free speech. I think we should let neofascists (or any other radical and unpopular group) talk all they like- their ideas do not stand up to reason. If Tancredo had been allowed to speak, he would have looked like the illogical xenophobe that he is. But since he wasnt, the story will now be about how hypocritical liberals shut down free speech. Good job guys.”