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Protesters say college restricted free speech
Metro West Daily News ^ | 03/06/2006 | Tyler B. Reed

Posted on 03/06/2006 6:16:26 AM PST by Panerai

FRAMINGHAM -- Leaders of the student group that protested a production of"The Vagina Monologues" at Framingham State College on Wednesday say administrators squelched their right to free speech by forcing them into shrinking the size of the picketing.

They claim the restrictions placed against them are part of a larger suppression of free speech on campus.

"It just seems like the campus is afraid of free speech and the administration wants to do whatever is necessary to avoid bad publicity for the college," said Thomas Lincoln, a member of the College Republicans.

In the weeks leading up the protest, school officials told members of the College Republicans they would have to pay for campus police to be on hand if they had more than 100 protesters, group President Ariel Sarousi said.

The special police detail would have cost the group $40 per hour for a minimum of four hours, he said. The group has no budget and pays for events through fund-raising. The protest was scheduled to take no longer than a half hour.

"We were going to recruit some people from college Republicans in the greater Boston area," he said. Because of the cost, "we significantly limited our effort by making sure there were very few."

Only seven students ended up protesting on a 50-square-foot courtyard outside the student center.

"There’s only certain places you can demonstrate on campus," Sarousi said. "They name it the free speech zone."

Administrators said the college requires any large group to pay for police presence.

(Excerpt) Read more at metrowestdailynews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: campuscommies; campusradicals; collegerepublicans; framingham; intolerantleftists; massachusetts; publicschools; radicalleftists; vaginamonologues

1 posted on 03/06/2006 6:16:30 AM PST by Panerai
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To: Panerai

Naw, the college is just getting its common sense back. Go to Broadway and produce that, on YOUR buck, if you think it's so wonderful. And then see how many people come and pay money for it. Honestly, such whining.


2 posted on 03/06/2006 6:18:42 AM PST by bboop (Stealth Tutor)
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To: bboop

Is that remark sarcasm? I hope so.

The point is that the university allows this filth to have full access, worth tens of thousands of dollars (building, parking, everything), and then wants to charge students for their right peacefully to protest.

Feminism flourishes partly because it is a subsidized movement. Faculty positions are dedicated to it, and the occupants of those positions get a virtual pass on promotion and tenure standards. It is tolerated because universities are almost all government subsidized, and they feel free to ignore the traditions of normal people. There is also a lack of common sense and courage in the public of a decaying society, as exhibited on the coasts.

I would never send a student to most colleges today unless to study science. You can teach yourself the other subjects better on your own: just read.

Nowhere is the herd instinct more intense than in the renowned bastions of "tolerance and diversity"!

There are a few colleges, lamentably only a few, which are an exception.


3 posted on 03/06/2006 6:32:20 AM PST by docbnj
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To: Panerai

Sounds like the college was just following its policy on large gatherings. So seven folks showed up. I guess the campus cops weren't needed, after all.

Free speech means you get to say what you want. It doesn't mean you don't have to pay for security if that's required by whatever institution on whose property you're demonstrating.

Non-story.


4 posted on 03/06/2006 6:57:24 AM PST by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: MineralMan

Yes, Free Speech doesn't mean that the University pays YOU to put on something that nobody wants to watch, either. The new, conservative President of Notre Dame said they could do the V Monologues IN a classroom, no tickets to be sold, no advertising to be done. Haha, always refreshing to see someone stand for what is right.


5 posted on 03/06/2006 2:54:40 PM PST by bboop (Stealth Tutor)
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To: Panerai

Used to be Framingham Teacher's College. The school is tiny. Probably not enough room for more than a dozen protestors.


6 posted on 03/06/2006 3:14:18 PM PST by Beckwith (The liberal press has picked sides ... and they have sided with the Islamofascists)
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To: MineralMan

I don't think you understand... the clubs are not funded by the school, and could not afford the detail. 7 people showed up because they did not want to be charged for a detail. this is saying you can have free speech if you can afford it.


7 posted on 06/19/2006 6:21:31 PM PDT by sectorsight
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To: sectorsight

How come you're posting to me on a three month old thread? Surely there's some news out there.


8 posted on 06/20/2006 6:40:59 AM PDT by MineralMan (non-evangelical atheist)
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To: MineralMan

I just saw this thread while browsing


9 posted on 06/20/2006 8:04:23 AM PDT by sectorsight
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To: sectorsight

OK. It's always good to check the dates of the thread before asking a poster a question. I had to re-read the entire thread to remember why I posted what I posted.

Normally, it's a waste of time to reply to a three-month-old thread.


10 posted on 06/20/2006 8:16:01 AM PDT by MineralMan (non-evangelical atheist)
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