On April 6th, students debated the question: “Should college campuses disinvite speakers whose ideas can be construed as “cancellable?” The debate was sponsored by Polis: Center for Politics and led by Braver Angels, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic.
Braver Angels debates are not competitive, but a collective exercise in searching for truth. Conducted in a light parliamentary style, they teach students to engage respectfully around difficult and divisive issues. Students think together, listen carefully to one another, and allow themselves to be touched and perhaps changed by each other’s ideas.
Read on to hear what two students, James Gao ’24 and Manon Fuchs ’24 had to say about their time debating this timely question.