At a Berkeley College Republicans event last semester, a speaker found herself drowned out by the din of protesters in the audience. "I left the Middle East because there was no freedom of speech," she said. "Now I am here and there is fascism."

At a panel last week the scene was much the same: Dressed as Abu Ghraib prisoners, protesters heckled former U.S. administration official John Yoo as he attempted to moderate a discussion on the selection of Supreme Court justices. The shouting continued until police dragged the demonstrators out of the room.

Shouting is easy. Beyond being easy, it's energizing-sometimes fun-and can feel remarkably similar to making an argument or even making a change. But the act of attempting to advance a point by simply drowning out the opposition is neither of these things: It is the favorite approach of toddlers and repressive regimes the world over; it is the coward's recourse.

The stunt at the panel is part of a pattern of behavior in Berkeley protesters of all stripes to shout down their opponents rather than expend the effort-and take the risk-of actually articulating and defending their own position. That position might be entirely valid, even astute. It's impossible to tell either way over the clamor of the antics they use to gain attention.

Whatever their cause, protesters serve it best when they allow the undecided to weigh both sides of the question. So, in the tradition, spirit and pursuit of informed debate, we challenge Berkeley protest groups to do more than get noticed by making noise. Hold your own panel-with a moderator who meets your standards of impartiality-or attend others' events and ask tough questions. Give your audience a reason to listen. Convince us. We can't wait.