Posted on 09/30/2011 5:04:04 AM PDT by tlb
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 26, 2011—A professor has been censored twice, reported to the "threat assessment team," and threatened with criminal charges because of satirical postings on his office door.
Campus police at the University of Wisconsin–Stout (UWS) censored theater professor James Miller's poster depicting a quotation from actor Nathan Fillion's character in the television series Firefly, and the police chief threatened Miller with criminal charges for disorderly conduct. After UWS censored his second poster, which stated, "Warning: Fascism," Miller came to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for help.
"Colleges and universities are supposed to foster brave and bold environments of freewheeling intellectual inquiry and expression. If a quote from a network science fiction show is a bridge too far, something has gone seriously wrong," FIRE President Greg Lukianoff said. "As both president of FIRE and a huge Firefly fan, I call on the chancellor of UW–Stout to rein in his overreaching administration and to restore both free speech and basic common sense."
On September 12, 2011, Professor Miller posted on his office door an image of Nathan Fillion in Firefly and a line from an episode: "You don't know me, son, so let me explain this to you once: If I ever kill you, you'll be awake. You'll be facing me. And you'll be armed." On September 16, UWS Chief of Police Lisa A. Walter emailed Miller, notifying him that she had removed the poster and that "it is unacceptable to have postings such as this that refer to killing."
Amazed that UWS could be so shockingly heavy-handed, Miller replied by email, "Respect liberty and respect my first amendment rights."
Walter responded that "the poster can be interpreted as a threat by others and/or could cause those that view it to believe that you are willing/able to carry out actions similar to what is listed."
Walter also threatened Miller with criminal charges: "If you choose to repost the article or something similar to it, it will be removed and you could face charges of disorderly conduct."
Later on September 16, Miller placed a new poster on his office door in response to Walter's censorship. The poster read "Warning: Fascism" and included a cartoon image of a silhouetted police officer striking a civilian. The poster mocked, "Fascism can cause blunt head trauma and/or violent death. Keep fascism away from children and pets."
Astoundingly, Walter escalated the absurdity. On September 20, Walter emailed Miller again, stating that her office had removed the poster because it "depicts violence and mentions violence and death."
She added that UWS's "threat assessment team," in consultation with the university general counsel's office, had decided to have the poster removed, and that this poster was reasonably expected to "cause a material and/or substantial disruption of school activities and/or be constituted as a threat." College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Interim Dean Raymond Hayes has scheduled a meeting with Miller about "the concerns raised by the campus threat assessment team" for this Friday.
Miller came to FIRE for help. On September 21, FIRE wrote UWS Chancellor Charles W. Sorensen, explaining that the posters are not a threat, nor would any reasonable person expect them to cause a substantial disruption. In Virginia v. Black in 2003, the Supreme Court defined true threats as only "those statements where the speaker means to communicate a serious expression of an intent to commit an act of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group of individuals."
FIRE asked that Sorensen immediately end the university's censorship of Miller's peaceful speech, apologize to Miller for threatening criminal charges against him, and rescind its request for a meeting about the threat assessment team's inexplicable concerns. Sorensen has not responded.
"It is both shameful and absurd for UWS to suggest that campus community members are so impressionable and unreasonable that merely seeing a reference to violence on a poster will lead them to commit either actual violence or a substantial disruption of the campus," FIRE Vice President of Programs Adam Kissel said. "The police and the threat assessment team are the true threats to freedom at UW–Stout."
FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, freedom of expression, academic freedom, due process, and rights of conscience at our nation's colleges and universities. FIRE's efforts to preserve liberty on campuses across America are described at thefire.org.
Have you ever seen Firefly?
Hey. I hate “fascist pigs.”
Although there’s a distinct possibility I define them differently than the professor.
My personal favorite.
The Operative: I’m sorry. If your quarry goes to ground, leave no ground to go to. You should have taken my offer. Or did you think none of this was your fault?
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: I don’t murder children.
The Operative: I do. If I have to.
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: Why? Do you even know why they sent you?
The Operative: It’s not my place to ask. I believe in something greater than myself. A better world. A world without sin.
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: So me and mine gotta lay down and die... so you can live in your better world?
The Operative: I’m not going to live there. There’s no place for me there... any more than there is for you. Malcolm... I’m a monster.What I do is evil. I have no illusions about it, but it must be done.
Socialism in a nutshell.
The actor who played “the Operative” was amazing and disturbing in how good he was. The line “i’m a monster” sent shivers down my spine.
I agree. I thought he played the role to perfection.
A most amusing post.
Google "browncoats.com" "fireflyology" "Kaylee-in-the-buff" and kayleeason...
Greatest "Mal Quote" eh vah...
I go with “A Fair Fight means you’re doing it wrong.”
Oh I owe you bigtime, thanks.
Fine. Have it your way. :)
Leni
The principles and political theory that is heavily in evidence (and I mean is the source of all the stories) is a very Conservative, small-government, libertarian political viewpoint.
All Mal Reynolds wants is to be left alone by the government. All he wants is his freedom and life to live his own way.
A more subversive TV has never been made in that the ideas and concepts of freedom from government control has never been more beautifully expressed without being heavy handed or preachy.
If you get a chance, take a roll of the die and find a way to watch it. It’s only 14 episodes and a single movie for the entire series. But it will make you say “Why in the world would anyone ever cancel this show?!? THIS is what television can offer people and they only show crap?!?”
Consider that had USA or TNT been the originating network, Firefly might still be on the air.
Best quote:
Jayne: “Do you know what the chain of command is here? It’s the chain I go get and beat you with to show you who’s in command.”
Or this one:
Harrow: “You have to finish it, lad. You have to finish it. For a man to lay beaten... and yet breathing? It makes him a coward.”
Inara: “It’s humiliation.”
Mal: “Sure. It would be humiliating. Having to lie there while the better man refuses to spill your blood. Mercy is the mark of a great man. (lightly stabs Atherton with the sword) Guess I’m just a good man. (stabs him again) Well, I’m all right.”
The one who played Jubal Early the bounty hunter in the last episode was also extremely good and highly disturbing.
In fact, the casting of this series was in general exceptional. I was rewatching an episode just last week and thinking about how I couldn’t think of anyone better to play any of the characters. That’s very rare.
“I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar”
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