I think there might be something to be said for just ignoring Horowitz. When you protest him, you raise his stature, as if he was actually a threat, and give him more grist for his 'poor me, the victim of wicked Stalinist censorship' mill.
Leo Casey
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I don't know. I debated that with myself. But, I got a chance to talk to two students who were just beginning to wake up a little---and that made the hour worth it. I re-learned something---get your rap down so it makes sense and can be delivered in a hurry. You only get a few moments to make your points, so they better be worth listening to. The reason my Horowitz rap fell apart was I hadn't thought it out and because it was essentially a stupid issue.
The more important issue was not some bullshit about free speech, but re-establishing affirmative action in addition to the top ten percent admissions policy. (The top ten percent of students in all Cal high schools are reviewed for admission to the university system. 10% of all schools selects a different set than 10% of all students and mediates the effects of de facto segregation--or at least in theory)
On the other hand the corporatization of academia and the privatization of scientific knowledge did get through, with the Novartis example---and because I had thought this one through much more clearly and could deliver it on the spot.
So, I figure if I could get two students to think for a few moments about the more comprehensive implications to bio sci, public health policy, and business, then the evening wasn't wasted.
Chuck Grimes