Almost a month after Michael Knowles, a host as well as an author for The Daily Wire, was reportedly assaulted during an event at the University of Missouri in Kansas City, Knowles returned to Missouri to give a talk at the state Capitol.
The UMKC Incident
In April Knowles was asked to give a speech on the University of Missouri Campus in Kansas City by the school’s Young Americans for Freedom group. During the event Knowles was assaulted by a student who had attended, the student was later arrested.
The University’s Chancellor, Mauli Agrawal, praised the students for their reaction to Knowles presenting a conservative, republican view. “UMKC community responded in the best way — by organizing and conducting a counter-event across campus … that focused on positive messages about diversity and inclusion.”
Agrawal later apologized for his comment and stated that the university was committed to “support[ing] freedom of expression for all” and “to rise to the higher principle of promoting a respectful exchange of ideas for our students to form their own views and engage in critical thinking.”
Back to Missouri
Missouri Senator Eric Burlison invited Knowles to meet with a group of Republican lawmakers and some of Knowles supporters on May 9 to give a quick speech on education. The author has been advocating for a “robust liberal education system” lately, especially after his attack in Kansas City.
“I felt it was important to come here … to defend liberal education, to defend the values that undergird liberal education, and to remind us that what’s happening on campuses is a preview of what’s going to happen in our country 20 years from now,” Knowles continued. “A free, self-governing republic cannot exist without a robust liberal education system. And if that has been hollowed out, and if bedrock principles of our country are not only not being defended, but are being dismissed and negated, we’re not going to have a recognizable country in the future.” [1]
Knowles stated that the U.S. public school system is lacking in the accountability department. Many Americans are also complicit when it comes to any problems in public schools, allowing problems to continue to grow.
It was an honor to welcome @michaeljknowles to the Missouri Senate. He deserves our respect at every University in Missouri. Thank you to @EricBurlison for inviting him back to our state! #moleg #conservative6 #MAGA #1stAmendment #FreedomOfSpeech @MissouriGOP @DLHoskins pic.twitter.com/XnkWq2AuoO
— Bob Onder (@BobOnderMO) May 9, 2019
Notes:
- ^“Republican lawmakers welcome author Michael Knowles to Capitol after UMKC incident – The Missouri Times.” Missouri Times, 9 May. 2019, themissouritimes.com/60816/republican-lawmakers-welcome-author-michael-knowles-to-capitol-after-umkc-incident. (go back ↩)
