The AP likes to report the Churchill case as a First Amendment, free speech, case.
What the AP doesn't report is the tax dollars going to UC that help to pay his salary.
Churchill has his First Amendment right of free speech, but what about the rights of people who don't want to pay his salary from tax dollars? Don't those people have rights too?
Freedom of speech isn't a one way street. If you take other people's money you're obliged to watch your mouth.
My thoughts exactly. You worded it beautifully.
Sorry. That's better.
My thoughts exactly. Well put.
Several weeks ago, Newt Gingrich made a good argument along this line. Ward Churchill, he said, is entitled to speak freely -- the lst Amendment says so -- but speech can't be free if the government pays for it. "He who pays the piper calls the tune." Ergo, help Ward Churchill exercise his right to speak freely -- fire him. Only after the impediment of a government paycheck is lifted, said Gingrich, can Churchill truly speak without restraint...
Freedom of speech isn't a one way street. If you take other people's money you're obliged to watch your mouth.
OK, for a professor, a supposedly educated man, his choice of words in the essay was simply 'dumb'. It was a very poor judgment call on his behalf to word his point the way he did. If he would have explained his point as he did in the interview article, this would not be a discussion topic. I definitely do not agree with him.
However, what you have said above about tax dollars is completely ludicrous. "obliged to watch your mouth"? That's like saying, "You work for Ford Motor Company. Ford pays your salary. Don't ever bad mouth Ford. And God forbid you ever drive a Chevy. You are 'obliged' to back Ford." The same thing happened recently when a beer company employee was caught in a newspaper ad drinking a rival beer and was fired. This country gives you the freedom of choice. This country gives you the right to speak freely. Choose your words carefully.
There are many things I don't like my tax dollars going toward, but people still are entitled to their own opinion, as you are entitled to yours. What makes his opinion any more right/wrong than yours? Nothing. Because it is simply that, an opinion. So, feel free to agree/disagree with it, but don't claim that he is 'obliged' to do anything. Free opinions have no restrictions, only consequences.