The First Amendment is being assaulted across the country, and few people actually care.
The text of the First Amendment is printed on the opinion page of the Daily News every day. There are some students, however, who are poorly informed and really have no idea what is going on.
For example, right here in our own state, the First Amendment has been attacked. The Purdue University Exponent recently ran an editorial cartoon that made the statement that African-Americans should not receive slave reparations because they already have the benefits of full civil rights, the right to vote and affirmative action. It also made a claim that African-Americans influenced the outcome of the Academy Awards.
This editorial cartoon was nationally syndicated and printed in countless other newspapers.
The content of the cartoon is really not important. I think it makes a valid point, but a minority of students at Purdue's campus found it to be inflammatory. The editor of the paper apologized and agreed to consider the feelings of others in the future.
The second example took place in Ithaca, N.Y. A group of Cornell Republicans created posters using the word "feminazis," a term originally coined by Rush Limbaugh to describe radical feminists.
As soon as the posters appeared, the Cornell lesbian, gay and bisexual community, its student government, and the Students for Women's Empowerment demanded an apology.
What happened to the First Amendment? Freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech are supposed to be our most sacred freedoms. People are trampling all over it to protect their "feelings."
The Purdue newspaper has a right to print whatever editorial, cartoon or column it desires. Regardless of their contents, these pieces are protected and require no apology whatever.
At Cornell, one student had the audacity to say, "The Constitution is irrelevant on this campus. We are [a] private [college]. We do not go by that here."
My question to her is: since when? It was my understanding that the Constitution covered every inch of this nation. The Cornell Republicans had the right to post whatever posters they wanted, as long as they did not violate their campus policy.
The president of that Republican group apologized for their posters. He caved to the liberal left wing. He lacked the testicular fortitude to stand up for what he believed. A coward indeed, he failed every American - left, right, gay, straight, white, black. Everyone lost a piece of liberty that day.
A lot of people refuse to accept that aspect of the debate. They want to silence the voice of those they deem offensive. They overlook that someday their words will be deemed offensive, and they too could be silenced. No one should be told to be quiet because they upset someone. There should always be a forum for opinion, popular or not.
We as a nation have developed a real problem with criticism. If anyone says something about us or our socio-economic group, we get explosively upset. What ever happened to accepting ourselves for what we are and ignoring the criticism of others?
Shouldn't the African-Americans at Purdue just accept the cartoon and stay strong on their belief in reparations? Shouldn't the feminists at Cornell accept their criticism and wear it with pride?
If you really believe in what you are saying, then no matter what your critics say, you should continue to believe in that. If someone is able to shake your beliefs and upset you to such an extent, then what they are saying must be shamefully close to the truth.
Write to Russell at rlgreim@bsu.edu
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
