By Ethan Nichols, World News Editor

Misinformation is no joke. While free speech is of vital importance, there must be a balance. Xavier is purposefully bringing onto campus a speaker who promulgates the so-called “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was stolen, as well as attempting to undermine the Jan. 6 Committee’s ongoing investigations. 

Kimberly Strassel is being brought onto campus today by the Smith Center in the Williams College of Business for a luncheon, where she will be featured prominently and give a keynote address. This should be of no surprise to anyone, given that the Smith Center is partially funded by the Koch Foundation, a libertarian, right-wing, organization started by Charles Koch and David Koch. The Koch brothers promote climate denial, oppose government involvement in health care and donate significant amounts of money to conservative organizations and candidates. 

Strassel repeatedly cast doubts on the 2020 election and its legitimacy. She went as far as to accuse the Democratic National Party of “fixing” the election, despite no reputable governmental institution having yet confirmed these claims. 

As bad as this is, Strassel also went on to question and deny the results of the Mueller report, not to mention her attempts to undermine the Jan. 6 Committee’s ongoing investigation. 

Strassel’s lecture today is all about the superiority of capitalism as a socio-political and economic system. She has argued that the COVID-19 vindicated capitalism, and she’s right; it did. Capitalism is working exactly as it is intended to, the real question is for whom is it working? 

Xavier should not be promoting someone willfully spreading misinformation. Xavier University Young Democratic Socialists of America stands opposed to misinformation and the promotion of Kimberley Strassel.