Report: Teacher Fired After Va.-Tech Reenactment

wbztv.com ^ | Apr 21, 2007

[jsh3180]

(WBZ) BOSTON A reenactment of the Virginia Tech massacre has caused some serious problems at a Boston school. According to a local paper, an Emmanuel College adjunct professor was fired after replaying the incident to prove his pro-gun view.

According to the college, the incident, which happened on Wednesday, left many people upset. "An adjunct faculty member made statements regarding the shootings at Virginia Tech University which prompted students and parents to contact the administration with complaints."

The Boston Herald reports that Nicholas Winset, 37, of Newton, received a letter by courier that informed him of his termination. During his reenactment, the paper said Winset, an adjunct professor of financial accounting, was trying to prove that if there were more guns in society, someone might have been able to stop the massacre.

Winset tells the paper the college's decision to fire him was pathetic and will affect the discussion of controversial issues at schools. Emmanuel College argues that "the well-being of our student body is a primary concern, and the action taken, which was to dismiss the adjunct faculty member, reflects this belief."

According to the Herald, Winset said he gave students a disclaimer before his replay of the Virginia Tech shooting.

[jsh3180]

Of course he was fired for discussing the shooting from a pro-gun view.

[Darkwolf377]

Oh, come on--if he were re-enacting this with ANY purpose other than showing he's pro-gun, we'd all be screaming about crazy liberals and "too soon!"

I'm pro-gun and wouldn't want this guy re-enacting a school shooting in my kid's school the same week of the incident. It's not about guns, it's about being a freakin idiot.

[SamAdams76]

Typical liberal kneejerk reaction. This is college, not grade school. The college overreacted and this professor stands to collect a lot of $$$ in court.

This kind of intolerance and suppression of free speech is just a taste of what we are all in for if the liberals ever get total political control of our nation. The irony is this professor is probably as liberal as they come (you pretty much have to be to get a job in a college these days).

[Darkwolf377]

Typical liberal kneejerk reaction.

Oh, man, can't we retire that extremely lame line whenever someone says something we don't agree with?

[endthematrix]

It’s college. They’re grown ups.

[Darkwolf377]

It’s college. They’re grown ups.

It's a private college, isn't it?

[Pontiac]

According to the college, the incident, which happened on Wednesday, left many people upset. "An adjunct faculty member made statements regarding the shootings at Virginia Tech University which prompted students and parents to contact the administration with complaints."

With out knowing exactly what this instructor said it hard to make a judgment.

I will say it is difficult for me to imagine what he could have possibly said that could be that upsetting that it would justify his termination.

Having grown up in the 1970’s I can speak from experience that murder and mayhem have been nightly staples on network television sense those days and most if not all of these students should have been able to take most anything that he said in stride.

Fairly realistic movies for TV have been made and aired on TV of some very grisly real life serial killers, such as John Wayne Gacey, the Green River Killer and others.

If they can’t handle a little current affairs discussion they are not ready for College in my humble opinion.

[wastoute]

What is a pro gun professor doing in Mass.anyway?

[Savage Beast]

When I lived in Europe, back in the 1960s and 1970s, Europe was fascinated by the promise of great things to come from liberal, open minded American colleges and the free rein they gave to new ideas and free and open communication among students, professors, and everyone else. A book called The American Challenge, dealing with such things, was widely read and discussed. Europeans were delighted by the free and open discussion of all subjects and issues, with no restraints, on American campuses, and they were inspired to rise to the American challenge. "The more the students argue and disagree and think for themselves, the more delighted and excited the professors become," was the general message circulated. The expectation was that from such a freewheeling exchange of ideas, open communication, and unimpeded imagination exciting new things would emerge!

Today, a suffocating blanket of restrictive dogma has destroyed all this promise. Freedom of speech is oppressed. Speakers whose ideas are unpopular or deviate from accepted dogma are shouted down and prevented from speaking. Students do not speak their minds for fear of retribution from professors and other students who are committed to the groupthink dogma. The free exchange of ideas, open communication, and unimpeded imagination are crushed. Deviation from the groupthink catechism is heresy.

This is the Post-Enlightenment. Western Civilization is decadent.

[Darkwolf377]

It's a private college. They can do as they please, it's their tuition.

We'd be for firing a lib at a private college for doing the same to prove that being anti-gun was a good thing.

[Paisan]

Many 2nd Amend supporters are in Mass. They live outside the major cities. Unfortunately, the Liberal population densities of these cities blunt anything coming out of the hinterlands.
Rest assured though, descendants of those who stood firm at the Old North Bridge in Concord are still there...

[endthematrix]

"We'd be for firing a lib at a private college for doing the same to prove that being anti-gun was a good thing."

Yeah - that's a GOOD thing.

[Darkwolf377]

Well, ok, so don’t be amazed and shocked and then castigate people for firing someone for a political reason when we would advocate the same, for a DIFFERENT political end.

[knarf]

.. re-enacting a school shooting in my kid's school the same week .. "

All effective discipline and correction is done as immediately after the event as possible. The wise Mama does not rely on "Wait 'til your father gets home", but handles a situation right then and there.

The airwaves are buzzin' and talking heads waggin' on and on about, "What can/could we have done to prevent this then or in the future?"

The re-enactment was one of the best lessons those kids could have ever gotten in the context and enviornment of their classroom.

They practice fire drills, don't they?

[endthematrix]

I’m no relativist.

Am I supposed to feel sorry any particular group just because they have different political views? Are you wired wrong? Yeah there are poor oppressed persons living in the caves of Afghanistan too...

[Darkwolf377]

I’m no relativist. Am I supposed to feel sorry any particular group just because they have different political views? Are you wired wrong? Yeah there are poor oppressed persons living in the caves of Afghanistan too...

What are you talking about?

[endthematrix]

That you are attempting to imply the hypocrisy is wrong. I’m saying it’s GOOD.

[Niteranger68]

He got too close to the truth. He had to be silenced.

[stocksthatgoup]

And who said Accounting was boring?

[Darkwolf377]

No, it's not GOOD. How can we claim we have the right ideas when we say it's GOOD to censor them, and then get all cranky when someone on the other side does the same thing?

Your saying hypocrisy is good is all that needs to be said.