During inauguration, St. Thomas University president slams ‘socialism,’ free college
Before outlining his vision for a new era of leadership at St. Thomas University, the newly inaugurated president of the Catholic university warned students about the dangers of “socialism” and how the idea of free college is the “biggest political lie in the world.”
David Armstrong, who was officially installed as STU’s 10th president during a ceremony Wednesday at the Miami Gardens university, began his official duties in August 2018.
During his politically tinged remarks, which deviated from the main theme of his speech, Armstrong appeared to criticize the leftward shift of the Democratic Party and how that may affect faith-based education institutions. His comments received applause.
Earlier, he had urged the public to vote for Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert, who is running for the Miami-Dade County Commission.
“So it’s very important now, because we have people going around saying socialism is the answer, college should be free, this should be free, everything should be free,” Armstrong said. “Well listen, especially students, I have a message for you. Anything that is of value is not free. Someone has to pay for it, someone has to invest in it, someone has to work very hard for it. And that’s the only time you value it, when you put the time in and you put the money in and you put the effort in. Socialism is not the answer.”
Armstrong’s condemnation of the left came as a number of Democrats running against President Donald Trump in the 2020 election have expressed support for free or debt-free college, and the leftward shift of the party has led to repeated talking points from Republicans about the perils of socialist-sounding policies.
He linked his remarks back to the founding of the university in Miami Gardens by Augustinian priests in 1961 who were forced out of Cuba during the rise of Fidel Castro.
“Without property rights, you could not practice religion,” he said. “ That’s why the people came over to this country to start with. They were trying to practice their faith. Religious freedom, freedom to practice religion, is the boulder on which we stand on. That if we are socialism, we don’t have property rights, we can not practice our faith.”
Armstrong, the former president of Thomas More University in Kentucky, said his strategic plan for the university’s continued growth would include new “real world” learning, increasing standards for new academic programs and maintaining financial solvency into the future.
“We have very tough decisions ahead,” he said. “I believe that we can handle them.”
STU’s former president, Msgr. Franklyn Casale, and Archbishop of Miami Thomas Wenski were among the speakers who opened the ceremony and introduced Armstrong, who spoke last.
“We ask that as President Armstrong begins his tenure with us, he will be guided by your Holy Spirit,” Wenski said.
Jamar Alexis, a junior at STU and the student government president, said he was impressed by Armstrong’s dedication to “the average... student’s life” and to community building.
“From the very beginning, I have experienced President Armstrong as a man with a dream and a vision for St. Thomas University,” he said.
Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 20 de marzo de 2019, 7:07 p. m..