Posted on 04/15/2002 9:44:51 PM PDT by IthacaRepublicans
Bias concerns follow speech
By Joe Geraghty - Assistant News Editor April 11, 2002
The controversy surrounding conservative activist Bay Buchanan's speech last Thursday is beginning to die down. After her speech, in which she decried feminism as a cause of high divorce rates and one of the reasons for the legalization of abortion, more than 20 students approached Campus Safety officers in Emerson Suites to discuss reporting the speech as a bias-related incident.
Those students were referred to the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life. A number of students met with Rory Rothman, associate vice president for student affairs and campus life, and other members of the Bias-related Incidents Committee.
Rothman said the committee ultimately decided the speech did not constitute a bias-related incident because Buchanan did not threaten any specific person, and she made her comments as part of a public speech. Rothman said he was pleased with the discussion that went on within the committee in response.
Senior Shelley Facente, who serves on the committee, tried to report the incident to a Campus Safety officer at the speech but was told no report would be taken because the speech occurred in a public forum and was not directed at any individual.
Facente said she was upset that a Campus Safety officer was making the decision about whether to report an incident or not rather than leaving it up to committee. She took her concerns to the committee and was satisfied with the discussion that took place among committee members.
Rothman said the committee is now looking at scenarios in which a public speech could be deemed a bias-related incident so the committee will be prepared to deal with future incidents like this one.
"What is a public forum?" Rothman asked rhetorically. "What are fighting words? This all generates very good, challenging, complex discussion."
Trouble began before Buchanan even set foot on campus when the Ithaca College Republicans, who sponsored her speech, posted fliers around campus that warned "feminazis" to beware because their Nuremberg was coming. The Republicans apologized for the fliers at an April 3 meeting attended by more than 50 students who were disturbed by the posters.
"Those posters that were up not only offended me, but scared the crap out of me," said junior Jennifer Addonizio, co-president of BiGayLa. The Student Government Association had suggested at its April 2 meeting that the Republicans consider apologizing for the posters. More than 400 people attended Buchanan?s speech. Many of them challenged her arguments and contentions during almost two hours of question and answer time that followed the speech. After her speech, Buchanan said she thought controversy over the posters was blown out of proportion.
"I think they?re completely harmless," she said. "They were well-intentioned to get attention for this speech."
Brian McAree, vice president for student affairs and campus life, said the posters were acceptable under college policy. At noon on the day of Buchanan?s speech, students held a forum at the Free Speech Rock to discuss the intent of the posters and their effect on the campus.
Senior Joey Cronen said even though the posters may have been offensive, they should not have been taken down.
"It seems pretty obvious to me that you can?t tear them down because they piss you off, especially now when free speech is under attack," he said.
Now...this one's really deep.
Perhaps next in the imbecile's intellectual evolution he might contemplate other, more lofty questions such as, "What is a job?" "Will I be able to hold one?" "Will my employer put-up with my bullshit or, through me out the door on my ass?" -- rhetorically, of course.
"Trouble began before Buchanan even set foot on campus..."
Totally *accidental* too, no doubt -- no doubt.
"The Republicans apologized for the fliers at an April 3 meeting attended by more than 50 students who were disturbed by the posters."
Why the apology?
I don't get it; at a real loss on this one...
Bump the, "Disturbed Ones" Prozac; &, send 'em packin' on their way.
What the hell are they spawning up there in that NYState hellhole, anyway?
It's kind of obvious they've wayyyyyyy too much time on their hands.
"'We do not go by that here.' Daniel Baker, president of Created Equal: Allied in Fighting Homophobia, said the poster was in poor taste, 'especially in Gaypril when there is heightened risk of violence against the LGB community.'"
...OK; next month is Mayids?
El Presidente' figures he'll be retired-off on a nice, fat & plump pension before people figure out the scam.
Sad truth is?
He's probably right; so, he's miles ahead of the game simply giving 'em what they want.
...white, male Liberals; the worst of the worst.
Every time I wonder how low the scumbag liberals will go, I get surprised by something worse. These fools are testing the foundation of this once-proud nation, and maybe that is a good thing, but then some of these mice end up in positions where they can either appoint or be appointed to judicial positions by Democrats, where they can actually do great damage.
I'm a 21 year old conservative from Rochester, I am trying to start the YR up here in Monroe County.
Too bad I couldn't make it to Ithaca for Bay's speech.
Please keep me posted on what goes on down there. Maybe we'll run into each other soon.
I wonder how many of these students? have acquired the ability to write a coherent sentence since most of their time seems to be spent on leftist political activism.
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