Campus Newspaper Fires Sole Conservative Columnist

self | 1/1/03 | Igor Birman

[calif_reaganite]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: IGOR BIRMAN
JANUARY 1, 2003

Campus Newspaper Fires Sole Conservative Columnist

DAVIS – In yet another attack on freedom of thought on college campuses, The California Aggie – a campus newspaper at the University of California, Davis has fired Igor Birman – its only conservative columnist, despite a contract lasting until the end of June 2003.

In his email announcing Birman’s dismissal, Fitzgerald Vo, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief cited “a tendency to enrage members of the opposing causes” as the reason for the columnist’s firing.

Birman’s column, The Right Stuff, provided the campus community with conservative commentary, expressing strong support for the war on terrorism and invoking a lively debate on issues ranging from the Israeli-Palestinian crisis to reparations for slavery. The Right Stuff was the only conservative column in the campus newspaper that, along with Birman, also hired three columnists to provide left-wing ideas and views.

To Birman, this latest attempt to silence the growing conservative movement on the UC Davis campus appears to be part of a trend that includes regular disappearances of conservative student publications and intimidation practices, such as obscene and threatening emails sent to prominent conservative students.

“I merely attempted to provide a conservative perspective to the UC Davis community in my column. My intentions never included forcing ideas on anyone. I am profoundly saddened now that the Aggie lost its only conservative voice. The most accessible marketplace of ideas on campus has been shut down. I guess my column was too threatening to the supremacy of liberal thought on campus,” Birman said.

Birman further added that he regards the Aggie’s decision to dismiss him as a breach of contract, since the latter contains an explicit clause setting June 30, 2003 as the termination date and giving the Aggie no power to dismiss Birman before then. “I am currently consulting with my legal counsel, and absent a retraction of the dismissal by the Aggie, I expect to file a breach of contract lawsuit against the parties involved.”

Birman may be reached at 530-754-3339. The dismissal notice and a copy of the contract will be provided upon request.

-30-

Email from the newspaper:
I hope you're having a good new year. Thanks for giving me the opportunity this year to edit your columns. Due to the increasingly tighter spaces in The Aggie and the relative impact of your column, I regret to inform you that I would have to cut your The Right Stuff Column.

This is due to several reasons, first of which is the dryness in your column's tone. I have told you several times that I would like to hear more of your voice in your columns, but that seems to be muddled in a lot of similarly versed right-wing rhetoric that I have heard before. Again, I would like a unique perspective, and you don't seem to provide it.

Secondly, the tone of your column seems to have a tendency to enrage members of the opposing causes. Judging from the range of feedback I have received, your column does not seem to spark dialogue, but anger that only increases a tit-for-tat response.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any more concerns or questions.

Sincerely,

Fitz Vo
________________________
Fitzgerald Vo
Editor in Chief
The California Aggie
25 Lower Freeborn Hall
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616
Phone: (530) 752-9887
Fax: (530) 752-0355
www.californiaaggie.com
editor@californiaaggie.com

[calif_reaganite]

This is how things are on our college campuses where political correctness and the endless ooze of liberalism know no bounds. Call or email the Aggie and express your disgust with them.

[visagoth]

This was posted here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/815429/posts Posted on 01/02/2003 0:33 AM EST by calif_reaganite

[Senator_Blutarski]

"Secondly, the tone of your column seems to have a tendency to enrage members of the opposing causes. Judging from the range of feedback I have received, your column does not seem to spark dialogue, but anger that only increases a tit-for-tat response."

Gee, the guy is criticized by the editor for his dry style which in turn evokes an angry emotional response from the liberals. The editor should have told the liberals to grow up and attempt to respond to conservative points of view with reasoned responses. --But then this is a college campus, so we just get rid of the last remnant of conservative thought and create an environment that is safe for what passes as "liberal thought" (an oxymoron).

[Lee'sGhost]

"I regret to inform you that I would have to cut your The Right Stuff Column." Poor sentence structure, tense agreement, and apparently incorrect capitalization. A better way to phrase it would have been: "I regret to inform you that I am cutting you column, The Right Stuff."

And let's not even talk about ". . .and you don't seem to provide IT."

And this is the Editor in Chief?

[johnny7]

First Draft;

Are regrett 2 infirm u that me wood half 2 kut yur Rite Stuf colum.

Talk about a moron!

[The South Texan]

This is Davis which might as well be part of North Korea or Cuba.

[Commander8]

I've been taking some time off from college, but every time I go back to the old school I feel like Harry Wu sneaking back into China.