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Allow research travel

A ban that would preclude students and professors in the state from traveling to certain terrorist states is short-sighted and should be overturned.

By EDITORIAL
Published June 17, 2006

Neither Gov. Jeb Bush nor other state legislators stood up to Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, last month as he pushed through a narrow-minded bill that stymies international research at Florida's colleges and universities. Now it's up to the courts to set things straight and overturn the new law that serves no legitimate purpose.

The law effectively bans community colleges and both public and private universities from using state money to support activities related to or involving travel to a designated terrorist state - including Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, joined by several professors from state universities, filed a lawsuit Tuesday and argue that the travel ban is unconstitutional.

Troubled by the case against two Florida International University employees accused of being undercover spies for Cuba, Rivera cites espionage and safety as reasons behind the travel ban. While these are reasonable concerns, this is an unreasonable response that undermines Florida's universities and community colleges and prevents legitimate travel for educational research.

The U.S. Treasury Department issues institutional licenses that allow state universities to send students and professors abroad to conduct research even in countries such as Cuba, which is under other U.S. travel and economic restrictions. But this new state law would put Florida schools at a competitive disadvantage with colleges in other states that have active travel programs. It even prevents state schools from spending private money on travel to these countries.

Aside from Cuba, this handicap also will hinder the ability of Florida colleges to attract scholars who study terrorist states and whose research can add to our collective understanding of some of the countries that pose some of the greatest challenges and threats to this country. And Florida universities should be training the best scholars on Cuba, not succumbing to the political whims of anti-Castro state legislators. The Miami Herald reported that one of Florida State University's Fulbright Scholars, Joana Carlson, plans to study Chinese and Cuban revolutions during the Cold War. Yet under this law, Carlson will not be able to conduct field studies in Cuba.

The courts should reject Rivera's pandering and allow professors and students to resume their studies abroad.

[Last modified June 17, 2006, 05:40:12]