Posted on 11/05/2007 6:00:51 AM PST by theothercheek
University of Maine sophomore Rebekah McDade, a journalism and political science double major, says she dropped a History of Mass Communications course on the first day when associate professor Paul Grosswiler “offered extra credit to class members if they burned the American flag or the U.S. Constitution or were arrested defending free speech,” reports the Bangor Daily News.
"I was offended. I come from a family of military men and women, and the flag and Constitution are really important symbols to me because of my family background," McDade tells the paper.
Responding to an E-mail from the paper requesting a comment, Grosswiler explained that a provocative example of free speech, such as flag burning, “demonstrate[s] the courage necessary to support free expression,” and added:
"I don’t intend for students to burn either the Constitution or the flag, and over the years hundreds of students have understood that. … If they don’t tolerate thought that they hate, they don’t believe in the First Amendment. I applaud the student’s exercise of free expression. If she had stayed in the class, I would have given her extra credit for publicizing her opinions."
The Stiletto is a free speech advocate, so this is all well and good. But to be honest, if Grosswiler really meant to inspire students to have the courage of his convictions, he should have encouraged them to draw cartoons of Mohammad.
A UM spokesperson exercised his free speech rights by describing Grosswiler as a "well-respected member of the faculty" and then suggesting that students should not have taken his comments “literally” and that “extra credit would not be granted for carrying out such activities.”
So, basically, the official UM position is that the “respected” professor is either a fool or a liar.
Note: The Stiletto writes about politics and other stuff at The Stiletto Blog.
I would have asked if I could be really courageous and burn the Mexican flag instead.
That would be hate speech.
How about giving extra credit for exposing the un-American instructor?
And if I burned the Koran I would probably be offered up as a sacrifice.
Perhaps it’s Monday morning talking, but I think throwing gasoline on some creep professor would be an expression of free speech too.
The libs need to reconcile their own positions. I remember when Clinton jacked up the income tax in 1993, there were a few conservatives who argued that we should simply dissolve the federal government. The libs went berzerk at that, of course, calling those people “unpatriotic.” Yet here they are, demeaning America yet again.
A clone of the fake Indian.
Expecting his contact information, to show up on FR any minute now!! Freepers busy as beavers out there no doubt.
Members of this womans family fought and may have died protecting free speech.
If burning the flag as a 1st amendment write gets extra credit, she should just get an “A” for the class.
Paul Grosswiler is an anti-American!!
Ask and ye shall receive:
Grosswiler,Paul R
581-1287
Associate Professor of Communication and Journalism
Communication & Journalism
Dunn Hall 443
paulg@maine.edu
Not a shock. At one time Maine’s Veterans for Peace was run on UMO’s servers.
And now, time to exercise OUR free speech rights!
It isn't necessary to participate in activity that you hate in order to tolerate that activity. Not all laws are good, but if you respect the laws then you tolerate them until they can be corrected.
Grosswiler explained that a provocative example of free speech, such as flag burning, “demonstrate[s] the courage necessary to support free expression,”
Riiiiiiightt. Sounds like my English TA when he went off on the whole class for being “either complete idiots or moral cowards” because he didn’t think we were sufficiently angry in our essays. And that was 30 years ago - at UT Austin, so I guess it’s not surprising...
I wonder if that includes protesting the university "hate speech" codes...?
Since when has being a complete disrespectful jackass have anything to do with free speech?
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