Posted on 03/03/2005 2:28:43 PM PST by bamahead
TUSCALOOSA, Ala., February 28, 2005—In a remarkable display of intellectual independence and moral courage, the University of Alabama (UA) Student Senate last week passed a “free speech” resolution that directly opposes a “hate speech” resolution passed by UA’s Faculty Senate last fall. Recognizing that the faculty’s “hate speech” resolution was a thinly veiled call for a speech code, the students’ resolution urges the UA administration and faculty “to adopt policies that explicitly protect free speech for all students at the University of Alabama.” The students’ move comes after close consultation with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and follows an open letter FIRE sent to the UA community to protest the faculty’s proposed regulations.
“Last fall I expressed confidence that members of the UA community who realized the ramifications of the faculty’s policy would reject it,” remarked FIRE President David French. “In a bold act, the students have not only rejected the faculty’s proposal, but have also demanded that the university instead adopt policies that explicitly protect their rights to free speech.”
The Student Senate resolution, sent to UA President Robert Witt and Faculty Senate President John Mason, passed unanimously on February 24, 2005. Authored by Student Senator Pat Samples, the resolution states that “[f]ree speech is absolutely vital to the mission of any university, where new and often controversial ideas must be discussed openly and rationally in order to make advances in knowledge” and proclaims that “[b]y defending free speech for all students, one in no way condones any kind of hate or intolerance; [o]n the contrary, one is promoting tolerance of others despite their differences, especially their differences of opinion.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thefire.org ...
Didn't see this posted yet. Mike Adams had an piece on it as well the other day. What a great victory! As an alum, I am ECSTATIC! Been feelin great for 3 days about this now...
Full text of the actual resolution is here: http://www.thefire.org/index.php/article/5363.html
I don't get it...
Are we supposed to suppress "hate speach", such as when a person asks why there are fewer women scientists? Or are we supposed to support "free speech", and applaud a professor that calls 9-11 victims "little Eichmans"?
I'm a little fuzzy about the "hate - free" thingy...
**stupid mode now turned to "off"**
yeah but who has actual power the faculty or students...?("he who controls the gold rules!")
PING.
The way I understand it, the Faculty and Student senate can both pass resolutions that will be sent to the University President for approval as policy.
At least this is the way it used to work at UA.
Please tell me if I am wrong, but the way I am reading this is it had boiled down to blue state type faculty vs. red state type students. Apparently the the student at Tuscaloosa must be a rather hardy bunch and have been able to shake off the nonsense that the faculty has exposed them to. Hat tip to the students.
At many (maybe most) southern schools, the students tend to be fairly conservative. When I was at Auburn, the College Republicans was always a large, thriving organization, while the College Dems were lucky to have a handful of people. I would imagine that some schools in the midwest have a similar situation.
Well done!
We must applaud those young people, so they know that many support them.
I'm glad you posted this.
This made my day. The TIDE is chang'in. Put the steam roller on full throttle. Take no prisoners.
bttt
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