Posted on 10/19/2006 10:05:37 AM PDT by Froufrou
Officials at Marquette University have ordered a Ph.D. student to remove a quotation critical of the federal government from his office door, because the hallway the door faces is not a "free speech zone."
In August, Stuart Distler, a doctoral student teacher, posted a quotation from humor columnist Dave Barry on his office door. "As Americans, we must always remember that we all have a common enemy, an enemy that is dangerous, powerful and relentless," the sign stated. "I refer, of course, to the federal government."
On Sept. 5, Philosophy Department Chairman James South informed Distler via email that the sign had been taken down because it was "patently offensive."
"While I'm a strong supporter of academic freedom," South wrote, "I'm afraid that hallways and office doors are not 'free-speech zones.' If material is patently offensive and has no obvious academic import or university sanction, I have little choice but to take note."
When asked to comment on academic freedom at the university, South told Cybercast News Service he had "no interest in pursuing that conversation, but I do appreciate your interest."
South directed further questions to university spokeswoman Mary Pat Pfeil, who did not respond to requests for comment via telephone and email Wednesday.
According to the university policy South quoted in his email to Distler, student teachers are allowed to participate in free speech "when he/she speaks or writes as a citizen," but when speaking or writing as a teacher, the university "imposes special obligations."
While student teachers are "entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing his/her subject," they are required to "exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others and should make every effort to indicate that he/she is not an institutional spokesperson."
"This incident at Marquette is part of a truly disturbing trend," Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), said in a release.
"Administrators seem willing to ban speech across the board and to designate increasingly tiny 'free speech zones' rather than risk any student or faculty member being offended," Lukianoff said.
Referring to the quotation as a "harmless joke," Lukianoff said the controversy at Marquette illustrates "how even innocuous expression is under ongoing assault at our colleges and universities."
The most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
Ronald Reagan
To a degree, this is true, but colleges shouldn't be in the business of favoring certain opinions over others. It strikes at the heart of their avowed mission.
I'm surprised the Jesuits didn't step in and tell the chairman of this department to pipe down.
Thanks for reminding me; he had a great sense of humor, too.
A college dorm is but a scaled-down version of life under a totalitarian regime...
__________
Man, your college experience was nothing like mine.
" they should be made to refund the tuition and the donations of those whom they've attempted to defraud by publishing their so-called commitment to academic freedom. "
Well stated!
I once had an apartment manager take down a sign on the outside of my door that faced an interior hallway and put the sign on the floor. Thinking it fell off, I reapplied it. Found it on the floor again. So I called the manager and asked what was going on. Another tenant had complained about it and the managers (Mormons) said I had to keep the sign off my door or move out.
The offensive wording?
"He died for me, therefore I will live for Him."
I was furious, had never heard of such a thing; it wasn't addressed in the rental agreement. But they wouldn't budge. I seriously wondered if they really had the right to squelch free speech; to me it's the same thing as taking down a "Merry Christmas" sign or a Christmas wreath on your door, all activities the managers indulged in.
You're a better Christian and more lady than I am! I'd have demanded to know HOW that could possibly offend. And I will continue to pray daily that I may live "for" Him!
Bless You!
"I'm afraid that hallways and office doors are not 'free-speech zones.'"
That's true, you have to keep your beliefs private so that you're not run out of the university by left-wing totalitarians.
"Free speech zone"? What, do they put up signs or something?"
For fans of irony, the left-wing university Nazis started out in the early 1960's as the Berkeley "Free Speech Movement".
I am sure Berry will roast this nut ball University way past well-done (all in humor of course) in a future column. I look forward to it.
In America we have "zones" for free speech?
I was not physically or financially in a position to move at the time, or check with an attorney, so I couldn't force the issue. The manager guy was a former cop who seemed to have a reservoir of undiluted anger in him, and his wife was a bulldozer. They ran the place with an iron fist and I was very ill at the time.
I am almost certain the complainer was the old woman whose bedroom wall was contiguous to mine. She was a CASE. I am sure she wasn't mentally balanced. She regularly woke me up at 2 AM because she was ramming her closet door the full length of its runner, into my wall. Throughout the night I'd hear her in her room (waking me up) yelling at people who weren't there.
The apartment had a laundry room across the hall from me, with strict instructions not to start laundry before 9 AM. One weekend morning right at 9 AM, I started the washing machine, turned to go, and about had an accident when I found her blocking the door, as menacing as a Nazi SS guard. I can't adequately describe the evil coming out of her. She demanded to know why I was breaking the rules. I asked what rules. She said I couldn't wash my clothes. I said it was nine AM and waited for her to stop blocking the doorway; in my mind, the conversation was OVER.
She hated children and tried to get me evicted because I had a child. When I finally did move, several other tenants, nodding acquaintances, approached me in the hall and said how sad they were that we were moving. Every one of them said if they hadn't seen my son with their own eyes, they'd never have known a child lived near them, and commented on how polite and friendly he always was to them, respectful. Yet the managers did threaten to evict me on account of my having a son, even though I had stated it in the rental agreement. I don't know why they kowtowed to the old lady and bullied me. It really put me off apartment living, and reinforced every prejudice I had formed against it.
Only a true liberal would declare criticism of the federal government "patently offensive".
Very well. However, just as the other guys never stop yacking about what offends them, I'm going to speak up in the marketplace of free ideas as to what I think is bonehead behavior. If they are right in crushing free speech in what is supposed to be an educational forum to weigh one idea against another, then they should have no problem with everyone knowing what they do. And once all the parents who pay the bills have all been notified that the management thinks political opinion has no place on campus, well, I have no problem with that.
Have to disagree. In an ideal world I would agree, but we live in a world far from ideal. Marquette has to set some kind of rules. Knowing the liberal asshats that infest every university, EVERY hall and door would be an endless political hate fest. You can rest assured that NO conservative speech would be protected.
I've walked the halls at my sons private college and I get nauseated. An endless bash America and Republicans festival. You should go for a walk on any campus and take a look. The LAST thing going on is "a marketplace of free ideas".
A professor is an employee, period. Yes universities like to think they are liberated, etc.. but you are an employee.. you don't have defacto free speach on the job. Tell your boss what a jerk he is, and see how long you have a job.
You are not guaranteed employment.. you obey your boss on the job or get fired. This isn't even a debatable issue.. guys got the sign on his office, which belongs to the university and is part of his work environment... he has no inalienable right to do anything there other than what his boss allows.
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