Young Conservative Defies the P.C. Campus

FrontPageMag.com, CNSNews.com ^ | July 11, 2003 | David Fein

[DaveCooper]

Initially labeled a “suspicious white male” by police investigating a dispute at the multicultural center on the campus of California Polytechnic State University, student Steve Hinkel continues to defy university officials who want him to apologize for posting a flyer advertising a conservative speaker.

The original dispute occurred Nov. 12, 2002, when Hinkle, a member of the College Republicans, entered the Cal Poly Multicultural Center to post a flyer promoting an upcoming speech by Mason Weaver, a conservative black author of the book It’s OK to Leave the Plantation. The book analyzes the dangers of blacks becoming too dependent on government programs.

Several students confronted Hinkle and told him he needed approval from the coordinator of the multicultural center before he could post anything. While Hinkle left to investigate the claims, one of the students called the campus police department.

According to the police report eventually filed in the case, “On 11-12-02...we were dispatched to the Multicultural Center to investigate a report of a suspicious white male passing out literature of an offensive racial nature.”

On Jan. 29 of this year, Cal Poly charged Hinkle with disrupting a student meeting — a Bible reading — in the Multicultural Center’s lounge area.

In February, university officials held a hearing to determine Hinkle’s culpability, a transcript of which was compiled by Hinkle’s faculty adviser. During the hearing, Cornel Morton, Vice President of Student Affairs, attempted to explain to Hinkle the mindset of his accusers.

“You are a young white member of CPCR [Cal Poly College Republicans]. To students of color, this may be a collision of experience,” Morton said. “The chemistry has racial implications, and you are naïve not to acknowledge those.”

A copy of the transcript from the hearing was provided to CNSNews.com by the Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a free speech group representing Hinkle in the dispute.

On March 12, university Vice Provost W. David Conn found Hinkle guilty and ordered him to write letters of apology to the offended students, informing Hinkle that if he failed to write the letters, he would face much stiffer penalties.

But Hinkle refuses to apologize.

“What is so shocking about this case is that Cal Poly decided not to punish the student censors, but rather, to punish the student who simply attempted to post a flyer that included only factually accurate information,” said Greg Lukianoff, director of legal and public advocacy for FIRE.

Lukianoff said Hinkle’s accusers were responsible for the disruption in the student lounge, not the other way around. He added that the student Bible-reading group had no formal recognition from the university and therefore could not have been conducting a campus-related function.

The irony, according to Lukianoff, was that “Hinkle was actually posting flyers for an event that was sponsored by a recognized student group and by the student government, and it is he who has the far better claim to campus function status.”

Hinkle not only isn’t planning to apologize; Lukianoff wants Cal Poly to apologize to Hinkle and the entire student body. The university must also “overturn its rulings against Steve Hinkle, expunge any derogatory information from his record and take serious corrective action to make sure that no students believe that they can report a student to the university police simply because they dislike that student’s expression.”

Carlos Cordova, Cal Poly’s legal counsel, defended the university’s handling of the matter.

“Mr. Hinkle was charged with engaging in conduct which disrupted a student meeting, a content-neutral rule applicable to all students. He was not charged because of his political affiliation or because some members of our campus community considered the flyers he attempted to post to be offensive.”

Any decision to punish Hinkle will be made by the university’s Director of Student Judicial Affairs, who was unavailable for comment. However, Morton emphasized that an expulsion or suspension was not being considered. Morton would not speculate on how the university might respond to Hinkle’s refusal to apologize.

[Vesuvian]

Meanwhile a professor gives his students the "assignment" of threatening President Bush, and that's no big deal according to the school's officials.

[Support Free Republic]

How we have, and can, change the world

History of Free Republic

Click The Logo To Donate

[PurVirgo]

*sigh* that is sooo ignorant. What I don't understand is that the speaker was african-american, yet the multi-cultural center's attendees "shot the messenger". Then again, it WAS in a California university...

IMO - there is no (percieved) advantage for them to NOT rely on gov't programs. Although, I rely on them myself, cuz I can't pay for college....

[KellyAdmirer]

The girl who called the campus (pc) police on this poor dude after he already had left is the one who deserves to be punished, for wasting everyone's time with this nonsense.

And if you really think it was an unofficial "Bible" meeting that he stumbled on, I have a bridge to sell you....

[pogo101]

“The chemistry has racial implications, and you are naïve not to acknowledge those."

Acknowledge them ... by staying where you belong, you person-of-unacceptable-skin-color! Get back, honky cat!

[StatesEnemy]

“Mr. Hinkle was charged with engaging in conduct which disrupted a student meeting, a content-neutral rule applicable to all students. He was not charged because of his political affiliation or because some members of our campus community considered the flyers he attempted to post to be offensive.”

Ya sure... Pinocchio.

[The Brush]

Perhaps they can point to some scriptures to demonstrate that their actions were Biblical.

[jjm2111]

Why doesn't Hinkle just write one of those Clintonian "I'm sorry you're offended" type letters. Fight fire with fire.

[Sam Cree]

Isn't this Richard Feynman's university? I wonder how he would have felt about all this.

[Ben Bolt]

I'll be long dead before these PC bastards get elected . So help me God I pray for the Republic .

[Chewbacca]

My appology: "I am sorry you are a bunch of brain washed facist racist drones. I am sorry you don't want to hear a speach by a successful black man. I am sorry you want to remain a slave in society and to the government. I am sorry you are wasting my time. I am sorry you wasted the schools money and time on your stupid racist accusations.......ect."

[Ben Bolt]

Reminds me of the apology letters that were posted here to the Chinese Airforce after ramming our P3 Orion . Thanks for the laugh !

[pogo101]

Isn't this Richard Feynman's university?

I believe Feynman mostly taught at CalTech. I don't know which Cal Poly campus this was ... Pomona? San Luis Obispo? Anyone? Bueller?

[CyberAnt]

Well ... maybe the school doesn't think it's an issue now - but when the Secret Service starts poking into all the affairs of the school ... and they will - believe me.

[FroedrickVonFreepenstein]

When I look back boy I must have been green
Bopping in the country, fishing in a stream
Looking for an answer trying to find a sign
Until I saw your city lights honey I was blind

They said get back honky cat
Better get back to the woods
Well I quit those days and my redneck ways
And oh the change is gonna do me good


You better get back honky cat
Living in the city ain’t where it’s at
It’s like trying to find gold in a silver mine
It’s like trying to drink whisky from a bottle of wine


Well I read some books and I read some magazines
About those high class ladies down in new orleans
And all the folks back home well, said I was a fool
They said oh, believe in the lord is the golden rule


They said stay at home boy, you gotta tend the farm
Living in the city boy, is going to break your heart
But how can you stay, when your heart says no
How can you stop when your feet say go

[gonzo]

"...Acknowledge them ... by staying where you belong, you person-of-unacceptable-skin-color! Get back, honky cat!..."

Not bad, pogo, for a white-boy, I mean..........FRegards

[goldstategop]

Time to go after the P.C Thought Gestapo on our nation's campuses. Its too bad Steve Hinkle was targeted for daring to say its OK for Blacks to leave the Liberal Plantation. No wonder the Campus Left considered it racially inflammatory! And while we're on the subject of freedom of speech, I'd be interested in knowing why Johnny McInsane and Babs Boxer don't make it as high profile a case as they did with the Ditsy Shticks. I mean censorship IS censorship!!!