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Doug, I think it was good that Monaghan was invited. He is certainly outside of the mode of speakers usually invited to college campuses.

But this represents a teachable moment for Elon administrators. They should teach their students about tolerance of alternative points of view; and about acting with courtesy toward guests.

Joe, I agree.

Let's hope Tom won't be pelted with pepperoni.

Would that be a good reason to protest the football game? Or would it be silly and rude?*Ed

If the pizza leader had a 0-12 season, you can expect a big pizza pie in the face with tough love.

The protests of Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan planned at Elon University today strike me as off the topic.* Doug

Now that I think of it. Tom own the Detriot Tigers in MLB and I believe he fired about 10 managers before he found the winning ticket after many protests by the local fans. In fact, the greatest quote he offer to the fans was that " somebody will be shot in Detriot today" If I don't improve the Tigers.

Doug:

There is a big difference between "hold(ing) personal opinions that some people don't like" and investing huge sums of money to get those opinions enacted into law and policy.

There is a tremendous amount to admire in Monaghan's business experiences and subsequent philanthropic dedication, especially his efforts on behalf of the poor in Central America and on behalf of higher education. However, there are some things about his agenda that are troublesome; a case in point is the move to prohibit the sale of contraceptives in the town that he is creating in Florida (the right to obtain contraceptives was upheld in Griswald v. Connecticut in 1965).

The students and faculty should give Mr. Monaghan the opportunity to discuss his experiences (the title of his talk suggests that the focus will be on building and running his business). I can understand, though, why some people (actually anybody who believes in the "right" to privacy and understands how Mr. Monaghan is striving to undermine that freedom) might want to protest. Both sides should be heard.

The protests are on topic because Mr. Monaghan's activities, not just his beliefs, have made them so.

To put things another way, if President Bush were coming to speak soley about his business experiences, would you say that anti-war demonstrators were "off topic?" You might not agree with their reason for demonstrating, but you should be able to see why they would do so.

I understand why they want to protest. I probably would agree with them about some of their criticism of Monaghan. But Monaghan isn't an elected official like the president. He's a private citizen invited for a specific purpose. The protesters would be perfectly on topic if they went to Monaghan's town in Florida to decry his policies there.

Doug:

He is also public, however, in his extensive funding of conservative political causes. Also, the announcement about his talk touts his commitment to "ethical business practices," his philanthropic pursuits, and his involvement with the Ave Maria project. If Elon was "only interested in the pizza," why did its own announcement mention these other things?

I hope that the Elon community gives Mr. Monaghan a respectful forum from which to express his views.

A guest of the university should be treated respectfully. Simple good manners.

Mentioning various credentials is neither an endorsement nor an invitation for him to address topics other than the one on the program. It's mentioned that Monaghan attended the University of Michigan but that doesn't mean Elon expects him to talk about Wolverine football.

Doug:

So if O.J. Simpson were invited to discuss his football years, women's groups would be "off topic" in protesting his appearance. In that case would you write, "it would make more sense to protest Simpson's appearance if they just didn't like the NFL?"

Or if Jane Fonda, Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, or Alec Baldwin were invited to discuss their acting careers, the College Republicans or Young Americans for Freedom would be "off topic" in protesting. "It would make more sense to protest their appearance if they just didn't like their movies?"

Let me know if Elon invites O.J. to speak.

I think Fonda, Sarandon, Penn and Baldwin are better known these days for political activism than for their acting careers.

Doug:

Tom Monaghan's pizza career ended nine years ago. He is also "better known these days for" his post-Dominos accomplishments and endeavors.

Maybe by some. I knew who he was by his association with Domino's and the Detroit Tigers. I never heard of the other stuff before today. I could be in a small minority on that.

Others want to weigh in?

Doug:

Monaghan was just in the news two weeks ago for abruptly firing (and then rehiring) the Jesuit priest who was his handpicked Provost of Ave Maria University. Like Connie's post, this action too prompted comparisons to Monaghan's management style with the Detroit Tigers.

Your time might be better spent reading national papers than mooning over your old mash notes to Kathleen Turner :)

Tom Monaghan vs. Kathleen Turner? Get real.

Tom Monaghan vs. Kathleen Turner? Get real.* Doug

Doug! It appears that you have not seen Kathleen lately! Get real or stop dreaming of a fail stalking adventure in your life.

Monaghan was just in the news two weeks ago for abruptly firing (and then rehiring) the Jesuit priest who was his handpicked Provost of Ave Maria University.* Dave

Now that is the scary part about Tom and his Jesuit connection. The only thing wrong is the term " Provost" Any student of religious history knows that "General" is the proper military title for the order. I am sure Tom membership in Opi Dei bought out the dark side in his personal beating of the General to shape up or ship out in 10 minutes of the delivery time on the pizza order.

As an Elon University student:
It would be different if Tom Monaghan had been invited as a member of a panel or one of the many everyday speakers that are on our campus at any given time. Instead he was brought as a "Legend of Business" and billed as a model for his ethical business practices.

No one at the protest thought that they would change Monaghan's view on anti-choice and anti-gay matters or anyone else's for that matter. The point was to bring to the attention of Elon's administration that Elon students were not going to stand around while our institution brought a speaker to campus who is so obviously not in line with Elon's own core values. Monaghan is the Chancellor of another academic institution that does not allow a true academic freedom and who from recent events seems to fire and hire on a whim the most important faculty member on his campus (on the basis that he "might" have gone against his values). How do you think he would treat a student who did not prescribe to his exacting beliefs? He has founded and institution where students are not allowed to freely express their opinions and can't even get condoms and birth control if they wanted or needed it.

It is a students free choice to go to any academic institution that they want to where their own belief systems are compatible. I would obviously not want to attend Ave Maria University but I would never condemn another student who did choose to go there. What I am adverse to is that my choice to stay away from such conservative and oppressive ideals was infringed upon when Monaghan walked onto Elon's campus.

Inviting him to speak on campus is Elon's way of saying that they agree with this and are still willing to bring him as a model of ethics, business or otherwise.

Students protested because they could not understand why the institution that they chose to go to would feel that it was o.k. to bring Monaghan to campus a model to learn after. After all, Elon is a moderately progressive campus that is very supportive of the diversity within it's student body. This is a view not supported by Tom Monaghan.

Let me repeat: What is Elon University trying to teach its students about business and in the most important case about life? That is is o.k. to be narrow-mindedly oppressive to other groups and to project onto other individuals your own personal beliefs? You use your money and power in any way that you choose irregardless of the effects that it will have on other people's lives? To me this should not and will not be tolerated.

That is why we protested.

And for those who to bring up this really lame argument about being off topic... blah blah blah. For your reading pleasure:

There is no real and can never be a true separation between the public and private lives of an individual, especially one who used to own 6100 pizza parlors and a very visible business man and media player. The values that a person holds clearly shapes the decisions that they make in everyday life. These include business decisions as well.

Example. I personally in my private life believe that it is wrong to kill other people so... in my public life I will not commit murder or open up a business that hires out hit-men. This is a public statement of what i believe in private. This is done all the time in the business world.

A real life example is the Marriott Corporation. The family that owns Marriott are Mormon. They do not own hotels in Atlantic City because they do not agree with what happens in these locations. Their personal views on obscenity and gambling made a very pointed business decision. Their personal beliefs echoed in their public business practices. What they also do not do is give a questionnaire out when people check in to their hotels making sure that they are not gay, or unmarried or using contraceptives. I am not so sure that Tom Monaghan would be as respectful in their position (but that is purely speculation).

Now tell me that the private can be separated from the public.

I wanted to endeavor to inform those who are following this piece that while many students have been misquoted and misunderstood that we had a clear objective and that we had legitimate reasons for protesting Monaghan.

And on a side note that is completely personal- his pizza does suck (in my humble opinion).

Frankly, I'm surprised to hear an Elon student saying someone should not be invited to speak on campus because some people don't like his views (unrelated to the subject he's asked to speak about). Would you like to get rid of a math professor who holds views on social issues you don't like? Where's the openness of ideas?

Gibson:

So what did Mr. Monaghan say at his talk?

I think that diverse opinions are incredibly conducive and necessary and important for an academic learning environment that can flourish and truly achieve knowledge.

Elon brings speakers to campus that plenty of faculty, staff and students don't agree with 100% or even at all.

The bone we had to pick about Tom Monaghan is the fact that he has spent almost half a billion dollars (made from his business Domino's) funding the oppression of women, the LGBT community and all those who do not hold his personal beliefs by the groups and institutions that he funds and carry out his agenda.

I think this goes past having differing views and moves into a very active role in hurting a large number of people's lives.

This is what I find so abhorrent in his being lauded and asked to come speak at Elon. And the reason that we felt it was necessary to protest his presence.

Dave:
I was unable to be at the speaker portion as I had class but if you are really interested I can put you in contact with those who have it either recorded or were part of the dialog at the speaker.