A Message from Chancellor John D. Wiley

Dear Members of the Madison Community,

One month ago today, our country witnessed its darkest moment, as terrorists attacked our land, our people, and our freedom.

In the days since September 11, I have seen freedom embraced and renewed, as people have come together to express their sorrow and condemnation and to help our nation recover and rebuild. I have seen people throughout Madison rise up with action, organizing vigils, holding teach-ins, donating blood and to charities, speaking out against hatred and discrimination, providing extra security at events – just to name a few examples. I wish to extend my deep gratitude to this special community for those and other efforts. Your work has given us the opportunity to come together to grieve, to cope, and to celebrate the values that we all hold dear.

Now, as we move from reaction to response, our community has never been more important. In some ways, we are all very different. Madison – and UW–Madison, especially – welcomes a diverse citizenry with an array of faiths, cultures, and perspectives. As we search for understanding and reconnect with our values, we should recognize that those differences are at the heart of the notions of liberty and justice for all. Our city, our university, and our nation have been made great by difference – by our freedom to be different, to hold a different view of the world, and to share our differing opinions with others. We are lucky to live in a community so rich with perspective, where we can sit down with people of many nationalities or religions and craft a broad understanding of the world.

In the days and months ahead, we need to recognize and promote the value of that diversity. I will do everything in my power to ensure that the university is a resource for all during these times. UW–Madison has a long and treasured history as a place where people can say what they think – and know that their opinions will be met with respect and judicious consideration. We will continue that tradition by hosting a variety of discussions and deliberations on campus, and I encourage everyone to participate. Only by having a full range of voices in these discussions will we be able to move toward understanding.

Please open your world view to those around you, and allow yourself to be opened by their world view. Be both a speaker and a listener. Help us fight the darkening forces of terror by exercising our most basic freedom: to talk and to listen.

Thank you,

John D. Wiley, Chancellor