Resolutions issued on free speech, Smithsonian

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in February approved one resolution affirming the value of free speech and another expressing concern about recent events at the Smithsonian Institution.

The free speech resolution, coming at a time when some scholars have been concerned that the wartime atmosphere may threaten free expression, affirms that "all members of society should be free to reflect critically upon, and constructively contribute to, public debates on issues of technology, science, democracy, and war." Critical debate and free inquiry, the resolution states, play a central role in higher education, which in turn plays a central role in producing the educated citizenry required by democracy.

The resolution having to do with the Smithsonian says that the AAAS is concerned about "some recent proposals regarding the directions and activities at the Smithsonian Institution that seem to depart from its traditional commitment to maintain properly its extraordinary scientific and historical collections and the resources and the research associated with them." The resolution urges the Smithsonian's regents to continue the institution's "longstanding leadership" in these areas. It does not specify the proposals to which it refers, but the Smithsonian's director has come under fire in the past two years for proposals to close certain research facilities and to allow donors a voice in decisions that have traditionally been made by the professional curatorial staff.