I’m surprised at you. For a school whose M.O. is one of self-proclaimed tolerance and acceptance of all beliefs and ideologies, we’re apparently very good at talking the talk, but immediately fall flat on our faces when it comes time to walk the walk. I’m speaking, of course, about the upcoming religious festival to be hosted by the Rev. Franklin Graham, the son of evangelical mogul Billy Graham, in our very own Events Center this June.

Not that it’s any of your business but, no, I don’t buy into the Jesus-freak mentality that Graham and Co. has so fervently preached for all these years. Why, then, do I not only approve of their coming to our campus, but support it wholeheartedly?

First, it’s a matter of free speech. The man has every legal right to come to Binghamton University, as long as he pays his bill and replaces the toilet paper if he finishes a roll. But that’s not the most compelling reason. Listen carefully, kids. These. People. Are. Everywhere. Alexandra Pelosi (daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi D-Calif.), just released an excellent documentary titled ‘Friend of God: A Road Trip with Alexandra Pelosi,’ an hour-long film that features interviews with some of the most successful evangelists in the country, including Billy Graham. Pelosi’s documentary states that, depending on who you ask, there are anywhere from 50 million to 80 million evangelical Christians living in the United States. That means that 50 million to 80 million people not only agree with what the Grahams preach at these sorts of festivals, but it’s the foundation of their worldview. I don’t know about you, but those figures shocked the hell out of me.

And that’s the point of this column. The fact that we’re shocked that our school would welcome someone like Franklin Graham to a campus well-known for its outright and unapologetic liberalism is demonstrative of how blind we are to the religious and social currents of the rest of this country. Graham, his colleagues and their followers constitute an enormously influential bloc of the American public, one that we can conveniently ignore in an environment such as this, where values are transplanted from decidedly more liberal sections of New York State and taken (pardon the pun) as gospel. A walk down Riverside Drive in Binghamton would be quite sufficient to shatter those delusions. Davis College, formerly known as Practical Bible College, is an institution of higher learning which pledges to promote ‘preaching, evangelism and missions.’ Grahamites are at our doorsteps.

So, while the Student Action Collective threw a shit-fit, and even my editors were in an uproar over the transgression our University committed in inviting Graham to the Events Center, I’ve been standing here, looking around, and thinking to myself, ‘Well, what did you expect?’ I’ll say it again: these people are EVERYWHERE. To act surprised and indignant that evangelists would play a major role in re-electing Bush in 2004, or that Graham would dare to besmirch the good name of Binghamton University with his ‘message of hate’ is to appear as ignorant and close-minded as you consistently accuse these people of being.

Verily, Franklin Graham is a hatemonger and an embarrassment to Christianity and Christians the world over. But do not make the enormous mistake of underestimating his sphere of influence. It is vast. People listen to him, people pay to see him and, most importantly, people put their faith in his teachings. We cannot ignore this fact, and we MUST NOT dismiss it. We must learn about men like Graham. We should strive to understand his message, and the impact it has on the world around us. His arrival on June 8 will deliver a much needed culture shock for the students of this University. Be ready for it.

‘Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.’ ‘ Sun Tzu

Matthew McFadden is a senior English and Arabic major.