Staff Editorial: The Ben Stein we know

Who ever thought, at the beginning of this school year, that Penn students would come to know Ben Stein so well?

After all, the speechwriter-turned-actor-turned-game show host has never commanded a particularly devout following on this campus. There is no organization devoted to his popular television program, Win Ben Stein's Money; there is no vocal group of students discussing his role in Ferris Bueller's Day Off or his endorsements for Clear Eyes eyedrops.

But one Connaissance selection, a minor controversy at Loyola University Chicago and a whole lot of debate have changed all that. Now, Penn students know Ben Stein better than ever.

We know him as a passionate fighter for the rights of minorities and the poor. A devout advocate of Republican causes. And a pretty amusing speaker, cult hero and quiz show host.

We do not, though, know him to be a racist.

Last night, during his speech before a packed crowd at Irvine Auditorium, Stein chose the noble approach and addressed claims to the contrary first and foremost. He clearly laid out his history as an advocate of equality, and properly explained the statements he made at Loyola -- which some said exposed him as a racist.

In doing so, he showed a real commitment to the ideals of fairness and justice, and demonstrated just how important it is to reach conclusions only after processing a full and balanced plate of fact and opinion.

It's a concept that many Penn students should learn -- specifically, those who were quick to tear him apart after a trail of e-mails suggested his comments in Chicago were of a racist nature.

Though perhaps rooted in good intentions, their criticisms -- which do, in fact, apply to Stein and not his alleged words -- now appear knee-jerk and inaccurate.

Stein's notoriety, especially as it related to his sometimes controversial political views, should not have made him a quick target for shallow criticism under the guise of exposing the truth. Hopefully, this example will serve to remind Penn students of just how important that duty -- finding the truth --really is.

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