BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An effort to form a Young Americans for Freedom chapter was recently blocked at Samford University because the group’s founding document contains “inflammatory” language about communism. According to a report from The New Guard, the Samford Faculty Senate took specific issue with The Sharon Statement, which is YAF’s governing document.
Hopeful YAF organizer Karalee Geis told The New Guard about the club application process. She said that those on the faculty senate wanted to admit YAF next semester, but only after the students deleted sections of the Sharon Statement that attack communism.
After more questioning by liberal professors for about 20-25 minutes, we were asked to leave the room. We waited for approximately 30 minutes as the faculty senate discussed YAF. Two members of the faculty senate finally came into the room that our executive board and advisor were waiting in and told us that the vote was to deny us the ability to become a student organization. They said if we made some constitutional changes we could be reconsidered next semester but would have to begin the entire process from the start again. We did not budge on changing the constitution because it is literally from the founding document of YAF. They said that we were not being kind to those who had a communist background…
Geis received an email from a Samford official who expanded upon the specific reasons the application was denied. ““We are looking for the YAF student group to amend or justify the inflammatory language listed in their Purpose,” the email said. “This is the direct statement from the Sharon Statement that, though likely appropriate in 1960, does not hold the same in 2016.”
Phillip Poole, Samford’s Executive Director of Communications, told Yellowhammer that members of the faculty were concerned with “inflammatory language” and wanted to work with students to make the process work next semester. He noted that the same process applied to YAF is the same standard protocol applied to every campus organization.
“Concerns were expressed by some faculty members regarding what they perceived to be inflammatory language in the YAF statement of purpose regarding Communism and Communists,” Poole said in a statement. “Faculty members were seeking to confirm that opposition to a political ideology would be accomplished in a manner that respects the worth of each individual, as stated within the university’s Code of Values. The members of the committee indicated their willingness to further explore these issues with students during their next scheduled meeting in the spring semester.”
Samford does not currently have a “communist club” on campus, and the University confirmed that it has never had one in an official capacity.
YAF was created by conservative icon and National Review founder William F. Buckley in 1960. The goal of YAF is to provide an outlet for conservative voices on college campuses and a vehicle to support bona fide candidates. Buckley also drafted YAF’s charter, known as the Sharon Statement, so named for his estate in Sharon, Connecticut. The document laid out the core tenants of conservatism such as the belief in the U.S. Constitution, the free market, and strong national security measures.
The statement’s only explicit mention of the Marxist ideology is in the last refrain, which reads, “…That the forces of international Communism are, at present, the greatest single threat to these liberties…[and] that the United States should stress victory over, rather than coexistence with, this menace.”
With the recent passing of communist dictator and human rights’ abuser Fidel Castro, communist sympathizers have reemerged in both academia and the political sphere. Well-known political figures took to twitter to express their condolences for the tyrant, only to face predictable backlash.
Fidel Castro was a symbol of the struggle for justice in the shadow of empire. Presente!
— Dr. Jill Stein (@DrJillStein) November 27, 2016
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered his condolences to the Castro family in an official statement, and wrote, “We join the people of Cuba today in mourning the loss of this remarkable leader.”
Republicans, especially Cuban-Americans Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) And Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), have been almost uniform in their celebration in the death of Castro. Even President-Elect Donald Trump weighed in on twitter, tweeting “Fidel Castro is dead!”
