Voltaire once wrote, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." The Penn State Objectivist Club recently held a lecture in Alumni Hall, the focus of which was to denounce all facets of racism.

I agree with the Objectivists. The club's message, as presented to the campus, stated "diversity is the new racism" and "multiculturalism is evil." Nothing else was explained, neither philosophy nor point of view. The boycott response was to the advertisements alone, which dealt little with Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism and more with the idea of incendiary words meant to capitalize on the mentality of a provincial community. Emotionality, rather than ideology, was exploited to fill seats.

The signs should have read, "sanctioned diversity is the new racism" and "forced multiculturalism is evil." On this I would have agreed. Yet, Rick Smith criticized my efforts as "morally bankrupt." His letter then went on to "defend the smallest minority: the individual." Well, if the Penn State Objectivist Club is so adamantly for the individual, then they must see the irony of belonging to their own sub-culture.

The Objectivists should practice Rand's philosophy and respect, not demonize those with opposing views, the essence of individualism.