This statement comes from UNC third-year law student Travis Packer, as quoted in this News & Observer blog about the controversy over the selection of former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey as the law school’s commencement speaker.

As I noted earlier today, opposition to Mukasey makes no sense for many reasons, but most notably because UNC loves for people to think it’s home to the enlightened and tolerant among us.

However, Mr. Packer’s comment via the N&O’s blog is particularly interesting. It evidently hasn’t occurred to Mr. Packer that conservatives attending school in the UNC System “have to take it” when liberal speakers are invited to “come in and give whatever speech” he/she wants.

The answer isn’t for liberals not to be heard. The answer is for all views to be heard.

What happened to tolerance, enlightenment, and the marketplace of ideas?

They’re nowhere to be found in this petition, which calls for the Mukasey invitation to be rescinded.