THE CROSSES THEY CANNOT BEAR

Michelle Malkin's blog ^ | 14 April 2006 | Professor Jacobson

[stm]

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS - A professor at Northern Kentucky University said she invited students in one of her classes to destroy an anti-abortion display on campus Wednesday evening. NKU police are investigating the incident, in which 400 crosses were removed from the ground near University Center and thrown in trash cans. The crosses, meant to represent a cemetery for aborted fetuses, had been temporarily erected last weekend by a student Right to Life group with permission from NKU officials.

Public universities cannot ban such displays because they are a type of symbolic speech that has been protected by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Witnesses reported "a group of females of various ages" committing the vandalism about 5:30 p.m., said Dave Tobertge, administrative sergeant with the campus police.

Sally Jacobsen, a longtime professor in NKU's literature and language department, said the display was dismantled by about nine students in one of her graduate-level classes.

"I did, outside of class during the break, invite students to express their freedom-of-speech rights to destroy the display if they wished to," Jacobsen said.

Asked whether she participated in pulling up the crosses, the professor said, "I have no comment."

She said she was infuriated by the display, which she saw as intimidating and a "slap in the face" to women who might be making "the agonizing and very private decision to have an abortion."

Jacobsen said it originally wasn't clear who had placed the crosses on campus.

She said that could make it appear that NKU endorsed the message.

Pulling up the crosses was similar to citizens taking down Nazi displays on Fountain Square, she said.

"Any violence perpetrated against that silly display was minor compared to how I felt when I saw it. Some of my students felt the same way, just outraged," Jacobsen said.

NKU President James Votruba said any evidence of criminal conduct in the incident will be turned over to prosecutors. He said he appreciated the emotional nature of the abortion debate and was glad that diverse viewpoints are represented at the school, but he condemned the destruction of the crosses.

"Freedom-of-speech rights end where you infringe on someone else's freedom of speech," Votruba said.

"I don't buy the claim that this is an act of freedom of speech, to destroy property."

He said he was gathering information about the extent of Jacobsen's participation.

"I don't know if she was pulling up the crosses, but I think she was out there with the students. If so, as far as I'm concerned, she went outside the conditions of her employment," Votruba said.

He declined to say what consequences she might face. Jacobsen is a tenured professor who has been at NKU since 1980.

[rawhide]

"Freedom-of-speech rights end where you infringe on someone else's freedom of speech," Votruba said. "I don't buy the claim that this is an act of freedom of speech, to destroy property."

Words of wisdom!

[goodnesswins]

"Freedom-of-speech rights end where you infringe on someone else's freedom of speech," Votruba said."

so said the COLLEGE President.....WAY TO GO.....someone with a BRAIN on a college campus!

[winner3000]

I wonder what would happen to me if I encourage people to express their freedom of speach by beating the snot out of her because I FEEL outraged at her behavior!

[SkyPilot]

Looks like the good professor has put on a bit of weight compared to the picture she displays of herself on her home page.

_{Northern Kentucky University professor Sally Jacobsen tears the "Cemetery of Innocents" sign on Wednesday evening. Photo credit: Sarah Loman, The Northerner Online}

[rawhide]

Picture below: Dr. Sally Jacobson tears down the main "Cemetery of Innocents" sign displayed by the campus pro-life group.

Picture below: Pro-abortion students remove crosses from the display.

source:http://www.lifenews.com/state1590.html

[CDHart]

"if the university pushes for this to become a criminal matter..."

I hope they do. Wouldn't this be destruction of property at the very least?

Carolyn

[rawhide]

Northern Right To Life members - (from left) Ryan Jones, Nicole Smithson, Julie Broering and Katie Walker - stand next to crosses they erected to protest abortion. Vandals removed and scattered the crosses Wednesday. The group planned to guard the display overnight.

source:http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20060414/NEWS0103/604140420

[SkyPilot]

Here are the crosses before they were vandalized and destroyed.

_{Northern Right To Life members - (from left) Ryan Jones, Nicole Smithson, Julie Broering and Katie Walker - stand next to crosses they erected to protest abortion. Vandals removed and scattered the crosses Wednesday. The group planned to guard the display overnight.}

Does anyone remember when some crosses were uprooted at Cindy Sheehan's "Peace Camp" last summer?

The MSM had a fit.

[rawhide]

Do you think that picture might have been taken today, after the criminal activity took place? The date stamp on the picture has today's date? Not sure, but anyway, I hope the professor gets what she deserves.

[p. henry]

It's actually more than a property crime. The professor is an employee of a state institution. She is therefore an agent of the state, who in that capacity incited others to suppress the speech of those who planted the crosses in the first place. If that isn't state action in violation of the First Amendment, I don't know what is. How about a civil action against the professor, the university, and the State for this civil rights violation?

Incidentally, this "professor" probably supports Planned Parenthood counseling that is based on the premise that a fetus is not a human being while at the same time she believes that a visible statement that a fetus is a human being is worthy of suppression.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

"Any violence perpetrated against that silly display was minor compared to how I felt when I saw it. Some of my students felt the same way, just outraged," Jacobsen said.

"I'm also offering to pay the cost of replacing all of the crosses out of my own pocket," Professor Jacobsen added. /sarcasm

[Junior]

"I did, outside of class during the break, invite students to express their freedom-of-speech rights to destroy the display if they wished to," Jacobsen said.

Freedom of speech does not extend to destroying another's works or property. If that were the case, I could go around ripping the shirts off of women and claiming it was freedom of speech rather than sexual assault.

[stm]

She should also be willing to accept the fines and possible jail time for criminal mischief........Femmenazi

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

"Any violence perpetrated against that silly display was minor compared to how I felt when I saw it. Some of my students felt the same way, just outraged," Jacobsen said


and after all it is all about how she feels.....

[stm]

"and after all it is all about how she feels....."

How her actions make others feel, of course, is of no consequence. Because it's all about her and the rest of the libtards like her.

[CDHart]

That's a flawed logic on her part, isn't it?

Carolyn

[hsalaw]

I wrote an extremely civil e-mail to the University president, and this is the response I received:

The Northern Kentucky University Department of Public Safety is investigating the incident fully and I assure you that appropriate criminal and campus disciplinary action will be taken based upon the results of that investigation. Thank you. Christopher L. Cole ('99, '04) Director of Media Relations Northern Kentucky University Ph - (859) 572-6574 Fax - (859) 572-6190

Just one question: the Department of Public Safety?

[Guenevere]

Pulling up the crosses was similar to citizens taking down Nazi flags....

Sometimes words simply fail me....

[Guenevere]

#38..should read Nazi displays

[muawiyah]

This ol'gal is just another illegal alien who overstayed her visa.

Time to ship her back to the Mother Country ~ with strict instructions that they keep her there.