Oregon's yellow streak, Re: U of OR forces Maintenence worker to Remove "Support Our Troops"

WND ^ | 01.28.05 | Kevin McCullough

[Coleus]

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Oregon's yellow streak

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Posted: January 28, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

This week brought about a hideous public-relations embarrassment for the University of Oregon. New media blew a relatively obscure story about the university into an all-out image war that exposed the overt bias and direct deception that has become operative norms at the "Berkley of the North."

One week ago today, Peter Baker was hauled before the administration and told that he would no longer be allowed to have a "Support the Troops" yellow magnetic ribbon attached to the university maintenance vehicle he drives on campus to carry out his duties. Evidently some employee had reported the ribbon, and it offended him.

The employee – the tolerant soul that he is – made clear that the only solution to the offense was the immediate removal of the magnetic ribbon. According to my sources, the ribbon had actually been attached to the vehicle for at least of four months.

One can only imagine Baker being brought into a cold dark room, seated under a lone light bulb hanging from the ceiling and asked heated questions like "did he vote for Bush," "carry a Bible," "love his country" or, horror of horrors, "actually serve in the U.S. military."

By Friday night, the ribbons were gone.

On Sunday, "Campaign Oregon" was heartily advocated for by top university brass at meetings in Eugene and Portland. The purpose was to raise a portion of the $600 million that the university wanted to seek for the "progressive, visionary, future" that lay in front of it. Captain's Quarters turned up evidence that the big donors in the campaign to that point had been large donors to the Oregon Democratic Party, as well. On Sunday, ABC on channel 9 out of Eugene had produced a single piece on the campus worker and the plight of his magnetic ribbons. The outcry in Oregon seemed muted. Call it "Blue State Allergies."

On Monday the blogs took over. I was the first to post it, but quickly Captain's Quarters and Michelle Malkin pinged me on it. Cheese & Cracker's Jordan Golson contributed a captured screen flash animation that bragged of the university's "diverse" approach. (Diversity in their minds seems to be welcoming everyone who agrees with them.)

What followed was a blog flood that got echoed on both my radio show, Hugh Hewitt's and Lars Larson. The Instapundit even weighed in on the legal aspects – and in the full interest of disclosure, he didn't see any Firstst Amendment issues attached. But bloggers of all stripes, small to large, kept pushing the story forward. WizBANG, the readers of Little Green Footballs, BlogsForBush, GOPBloggers, MyPetJawa, Outside the Beltway, and others commented and linked and smaller blogs followed their lead.

On Tuesday, reports were made public about the University's odd timing of banning the ribbons and the donor development effort. The university also refused to allow Pete Baker access to speak with the media concerning his side of the story.

On Wednesday, the university decided to finally address the issue publicly. Up until then, they had only made a form-letter like statement available via their website and in an e-mail response to the now continual flow of outrage that was being registered from across the nation.

Later, they confessed that they had received "300 e-mail." (I have in my possession proof that disputes this number as I received more than 300 carbon copies of e-mail that listeners-readers sent just from my blog.)

The university also admitted the situation had created a public-relations problem (as was cited in the New York Times) but believed it to be based on less-than-factual accounts being reported by said talk-radio shows and blogs. (This was complete nonsense as even a minimal reading of the blog coverage proves.) Additionally, the university said "someone" had "yellow ribboned" the trees encircling the administration building. And when asked what would happen to the ribbons on those trees the university said plainly that they did not break the rules so they would be allowed to remain up.

On Wednesday afternoon, "William the brave" as he is now called, turned whistleblower on the university. "William the brave" was the employee (who is not Pete Baker) who had "ribboned" the office building. While university officials were telling the media the ribbons would be allowed to remain up, "William the brave" told the rest of the world the truth – that the ribbons had already been removed. He also publicly stated that numerous Kerry-Edwards signs and stickers had been affixed to all kinds of state-owned property throughout the entire election year.

Today, you have a chance to tell the University of Oregon what you think of how they despise hard-working veterans who work faithfully in the service of the public at this public university. You can let them know what you believe of their managing of their "politically correct" image for the purposes of not offending potentially "significant visionary supporters."

You can ask them why they decided to blatantly lie to the media on the yellow ribbons surrounding the administration office. And most of all, you can ask why they don't believe that "supporting the troops" is a corporate (not personal) statement that the university should fully embrace.

Office of President Dave Frohnmayer
E-mail: pres@oregon.uoregon.edu
Phone: 541-346-3036

Please e-mail me with whatever answers you are able to obtain from them – the blogosphere and talk radio are waiting to hear what they have to say.

The odds are good though that it won't be much.
Kevin McCullough is heard daily from 1 to 4 p.m. EST in New York City on AM 570 WMCA, and in New Jersey on AM 970 WWDJ. Additionally, you can read his daily postings at The KMC Blog. For information on how to bring "The Kevin McCullough Show" to a station near you, call Dave Armstrong at 201-298-5700.

[Coleus]

You can ask them why they decided to blatantly lie to the media on the yellow ribbons surrounding the administration office. And most of all, you can ask why they don't believe that "supporting the troops" is a corporate (not personal) statement that the university should fully embrace.

Office of President Dave Frohnmayer
E-mail: pres@oregon.uoregon.edu
Phone: 541-346-3036

Please e-mail me with whatever answers you are able to obtain from them – the blogosphere and talk radio are waiting to hear what they have to say.

The odds are good though that it won't be much.

University of Oregon tells driver to remove troop magnet

University of Oregon BANS Support Of The Troops...

"Support our Troop" Stickers...Creates a Stir at U of O

>>What followed was a blog flood that got echoed on both my radio show >>

Good Article.  Why would a freeper not include the FR in his article on WND?  Maybe he was giving the "little guy" some publicity.   I do enjoy his radio show which can be heard on the radio in the NYC area or on the internet and suggest you tune in to listen to it, sometimes I find Rush is a bit too repetitive and enjoy some variety.

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[MineralMan]

I suppose that whoever owns the vehicle can determine what does and does not go on that vehicle.

[george wythe]

Our universities tend to liberal cesspools, and we know that hating the military and blaming America first are liberal knee-jerk reactions.

Thank God most of us survived the college experience. Conservative breeding, common sense, and a real job will usually erase most of the liberal gobbledygook.

[Paleo Conservative]

I love the new media. Ten years ago, this story would have been burried by the local (leftist) media.

[Madeleine Ward]

I can just imagine strolling the halls of U. Oregon and seeing some anti-war, anti-Bush or other political messages on the doors and walls of professor's offices.

I see such political messages all the time at our local university campus. I wonder if the school has told the professors to remove their signs.

I emailed and got an immediate response. System undeliverable. Wonder if they disengaged the email.

[StonyBurk]

True enough--as is equally true anyone wishing to express their utter disgust at the anti-American activities on campus have a Constitutional right to free expression.

[Phantom Lord]

If the vehicle was his then the University would be wrong in making him remove it. But, the vehicle is NOT his, thus the university is well within it rights to tell him to remove it.

End of story.

[ImaTexan]

ping

[Sloth]

I suppose that whoever owns the vehicle can determine what does and does not go on that vehicle.

It would seem that the vehicle is owned by the people of the State of Oregon.

[MineralMan]

"It would seem that the vehicle is owned by the people of the State of Oregon.
"

Yup, by ALL the people in Oregon, probably including some who disagree with the yellow ribbon. There's the problem. You'll never please everyone, so most places ban all political stuff from government-owned vehicles. Makes sense to me. Suppose the guy driving the truck wanted to put a Kerry sticker on it.

[Sloth]

This wasn't a "W-'04" sticker or something, though -- 'Support the troops' is not a particularly political statement. I'll wager the state government already supports troops, not just in a "moral support" way but with actual money and facilities for their National Guard units, etc.

[lilylangtree]

Wonder if some of the complainers were residents of Seattle?

[watchin]

"Suppose the guy driving the truck wanted to put a Kerry sticker on it."

Did you read the original post?

He also publicly stated that numerous Kerry-Edwards signs and stickers had been affixed to all kinds of state-owned property throughout the entire election year.

Looks like they're not concerned about "pleasing everyone", but only the tolerant democrats who wish to silence everyone else.

[watchin]

Not quite. Not if the state-owned property all over the campus is plastered with Kerry/Edwards campaign signs, as the original post clearly indicated.

In that case, we clearly have a case of State property being used to promote one political party over another. No Republican should have to pay taxes supporting that nonsense.

[Salvation]

Oregon Ping

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Oregon Ping List.

[investigateworld]

Our Democratic Gov. has made it a point to attend every funeral of every serviceman, service woman who dies in the service of this nation. (While respecting the family's wishes) I give him credit for that.

[Captain Ray]

I work for a county in Oregon, and like the state, we are not allowed to use our time, publicly owned property, or publicly owned resources to make any political statement. That being said, supporting our troops is not a political statement. I agree with you on this.

It is funny (or not) that during the campaign (political) a blind eye was often turned towards liberals who emailed, faxed, proselytized, etc.. on the public dime.. but whoa be to the guy or gal who just wants to express some good ol' fashioned American patriotism!

[fire_eye]

Not only that, but any lawyer worth his/her BMW would be able to make an equal protection case out of that - and the pUnyversity would lose, and end up settling out of court.

I keep saying it, and nobody's listening: these leftist filth have played right into our hands. The Americans (as opposed to leftists) on campus should go through the entire campus like a whirlwind, with cameras and tape recorders, photographing and cataloging every single piece of printed Lie-beral propaganda on the campus, and then start filing affidavits.

By the time it was over, every tweed-capped, pencilnecked, paleoMarxist 50-something crackpot in the pUnyversity administration would be on TV whining "please-don't-sue-us" apologies. (But I'd sue them anyway, of course...).

[KoneZone]

What comes out of a duck is Yellow also. All we can do is hope they learn how to vote. I am quite sure they would allow Palestinian stickers.