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Universities are ‘islands of repression in a sea of freedom’

It is a sad commentary on our times that academic institutions, which should be at the vanguard of protecting free speech, appear to be, at least at some universities, to quote Abigail Thernstrom, vice-chair of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, “islands of repression in a sea of freedom.” Evidently, there are those who feel that the minds of graduates are too fragile to be exposed to controversial views. I know that is not true about Lakehead graduates.

So I am grateful to Lakehead University – its leadership, faculty and students – for not inquiring about my political views before conferring this honorary degree and allowing me to address the graduating class. No one asked me my opinion on unrestricted abortion, the war on terror, free trade, or global warming.

Some claim that all these issues are either settled science or considered off-limits for discussion.

It was “settled science” when I was a medical student in the 1960’s that duodenal ulcers were caused by excess gastric acid, exacerbated by stress. Treatment then focused on reducing acidity and stress – either by pills, surgery or psychotherapy. I would have failed medical school and would not be standing before you today if, on my final exams, I wrote that ulcers were caused by infection.

Then in the early 1980’s Robin Warren and Barry Marshall of Australia isolated Helicobacter Pylori from patients with ulcer disease and concluded that these bacteria were the cause of duodenal ulcers. They did not have an easy time – after all this was against “settled science.”