Be careful what you read and where...

Nuvo (Indian) ^ | 27 Feb, 208 | David Hoppe

[Larry R. Johnson]

Keith John Sampson never thought he could get in trouble for reading a book, especially not on a college campus. But that’s what happened. Sampson is a man in his early 50s. He does janitorial work for the campus facility services at IUPUI, where he’s been gradually accumulating credits for a degree in communications studies. He has 10 credit hours to go. .... The book is about how for two days in May 1924, a group of Notre Dame students got into a street fight with members of the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan was meeting in South Bend for the express purpose of sticking a collective thumb in the eye of the country’s most famous Catholic university. Notre Dame vs. the Klan was a Notre Dame Magazine “Pick of the Week” and garnered an average customer review of 4.5 stars on Amazon.com. In its review, The Indiana Magazine of History noted that Tucker “succeeds in placing the event in a broad framework that includes the origins and development of both the Klan and Notre Dame.”

[Larry R. Johnson]

This guy got into trouble for reading (reading on a college campus, of all places) an historical account of a fight between Ku Klux Klan members and Notre Dame Students that happend 84 years ago. Some folks decided to made trouble for this guy. How far is political corrction going? Would the animals in a zoo be offended if I read a cookbook?

[Jet Jaguar]

Interesting.

[Right Wing Assault]

If they are going to MAKE anyone do anything, they should make all the morons that work with him read the book and write a report on it. And apologize to Mr. Sampson for being such idiots by interfering with his freedom to read in their presence.

[jimtorr]

I think it might be best for all if Mr. Sampson filed a harassment lawsuit against all concerned.

[Free State Four]

How far is political correction going?

I don't know if it was a Freudian slip or a typo, but it is a very succinct way of describing the true nature of PC, as observed in this incident. It's not about political correctness, it's about political correction. That's what I'm calling it from now on. Thanks!

[TalBlack]

“How far is political corrction going?”

PC, fundamentally, is the compartmentalization of the mind. It goes as far as it can the FIRST time it is used. This is why we are (or once were) taught to fear lies. You KNOW where PC is going if you know History.

[stayathomemom]

One guy’s comment had it right: “Liberal Fascism”.

[Louis Foxwell]

All fascism emanates from liberal doctrine.

[BufordP]

This sounds like a job for Mike Adams. I just sent him an email.

[knarf]

Political correctness has nothing to do with it.

It's a continueing attack on all things American .. especially knowledge.

Pol Pot had his gory killing fields, we have have a more sanitized version.

[martin gibson]

Mr. Sampson is NOT being harassed for reading a book dealing with the Ku Klux Klan, Mr. Sampson is being harassed because he is reading ANY book and there-by “acting white”.

[Screaming_Gerbil]

From the article:

Sampson recalls that his AFSCME shop steward told him that reading a book about the Klan was like bringing pornography to work. The shop steward wasn’t interested in hearing what the book was actually about. Another time, a coworker who was sitting across the table from Sampson in the break room commented that she found the Klan offensive. Sampson says he tried to tell her about the book, but she wasn’t interested in talking about it.

Hard to believe that the people who had a problem with him reading that book did not want to hear any explanation. Their minds were totally closed on the subject.

Almost like some kind of automatic knee jerk reaction where any reference to the KKK (even a historical account of fighting back against the KKK) was to be forbidden.

I can only imagine that it's a victim mindset hard at work on the part of those offended by him reading the book in their presence.

[Gondring]

I hope everyone read the whole story and looked at the letters before knee-jerking. While I don't support the shop steward's approach, there does seem to be more to the story. From what I gather, Mr. Sampson was not forbidden from reading the book--he was asked to read the book apart from other employees who found the title disturbing.

I imagine books that I wouldn't want to see a co-worker reading when I'm trying to take a break. "How to Defeat Brain-Sucking Baby-Killers" might be something I'd ask my co-worker to read with discretion, for example.

But that's a common courtesy thing, not something for the university administration (though the policy is in place). Note, however, that the Affirmative Action office did not take action against Mr. Sampson, as it couldn't determine that he was trying to create a sisruption to the work environment. Sounds like they did the right thing.

I imagine this might have been a personnel issue that got out of hand, but that's mere speculation.

FIRE or The Rutherford Institute might be able to help, if there's reason.

[Gondring]

Hard to believe that the people who had a problem with him reading that book did not want to hear any explanation. Their minds were totally closed on the subject.

Almost like some kind of automatic knee jerk reaction where any reference to the KKK (even a historical account of fighting back against the KKK) was to be forbidden.

Or, the shop steward believed that Mr. Sampson was reading the book in a way to intentionally irritate the other employees, and didn't care about content. The content wasn't at issue, if you read the letters. The issue was whether he was intentionally disrupting the work environment, and I can see that a person might not want to think about the KKK on his break.

That being said, of course the other employees could keep their eyes to themselves, and that's it's good that the focus was on whether or not he was intending to be disruptive--not on the book content.

[an amused spectator]

While I don't support the shop steward's approach, there does seem to be more to the story. From what I gather, Mr. Sampson was not forbidden from reading the book--he was asked to read the book apart from other employees who found the title disturbing.

Look - you're wrong, and I don't want to discuss it with you or debate any of the facts.

[bmwcyle]

Let the liberal book burning begin! /SARCASM.

[CodeToad]

I’d sue the school for academic fraud. When Churchill can say what he said without consequence but a book gets a guy into trouble, there isn’t much else needed to know that colleges are about money and not education.

[an amused spectator]

So, this is great!

If a co-worker that I hate is reading a book about computer networking entitled "Network Link - Lan Interactions", then I can point to the fact that he's reading a book with the word "k - Lan" in the title and have him gigged on it!

Brilliant!

[AppyPappy]

WHOA! It sounds like someone got spanked. I suspect another letter is forthcoming.

[thinking]

Yes, I have to agree,...this PC thing is a disguise for fascism....next it will be burning the books that “offend” the liberal fanatics....