RITTER (THE PEDOPHILE) SHOULDN'T SPEAK: says papers editorial

The Gazette | 1/29/03

[1Old Pro]

Opinion

Ritter shouldn't speak

There are very few crimes which disqualify a person from addressing an audience of college students. But one ought to be the crime - technically a misdemeanor - that Scott Ritter allegedly committed in 2001: trying to solicit an under-age girl for sex.

Surprisingly, many of the students of Schenectady County Community College, where Ritter is due to speak Feb. 12, aren't fazed by the story of his attempted dalliances with children who, after all, were but a few years younger than the students themselves. According to their representative on the school's Board of Trustees, most SCCC students don't think Ritter's extracurricular activities are a problem; and do think that he should be allowed to speak.

Wouldn't these same students denounce as a "perv" some 40-year-old guy who tried picking them up over the Internet for some kinky voyeuristic gambit (which they're old enough to participate in)?

Granted, the $4,000 for Ritter's speech will be the students' (not taxpayers' money). It's part of their mandatory activity fee, $50 per semester, which gets used for sports, clubs and special events like lectures. Still, it won't be easy for county residents who support the community college with their taxes to stomach SCCC even providing a forum for Ritter - and not because of anything to do with his wholly legitimate political views. (A U.N. arms inspector in Iraq in the 1990s, he's been the most vocal critic of President Bush's threat to wage war against Saddam Hussein.)

Ritter may have been damaged by the recent publicity about his arrest long after the case had been dropped. (Why the information was leaked remains an unanswered question.) He may even have chosen the ACOD (adjournment in contemplation of dismissal) over a trial at the time because it was - or should have been - the easiest way to bury the incident. That he bypassed the opportunity to clear his name then is unfortunate for him now, but it doesn't give him a pass for what the court of public opinion has convicted him of. Now the only way he can hope to clear his name is to tell his side of the story publicly, which he refuses to do.

As long as that's the case, the community college shouldn't be giving him a forum to speak.

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[1Old Pro]

Related:

COLLEGE TRUSTEES O.K. RITTER SPEECH. E-MAIL ACTIVISM NEEDED !

Scott Ritter Protest Image-Flyer (A Registered Special)

[Mr. K]

If Ritter was a pro-republican war supporter they would be roasting him ... hypocracy is hideous

[TLBSHOW]

BUMP

[1Old Pro]

If Ritter was a pro-republican war supporter they would be roasting

There would be no discussion about dis-inviting him if he were a Bush supporter because he never would have been invited in the first place.

[Grampa Dave]

http://members.aol.com/registered/private/freep/predator.jpg

[Grampa Dave]

I don't know what happened there. Here is Registered's great Megan's Law handout for when/where the Perv tries to speak.

[TLBSHOW]

ok not this ritter but could it happen with scott ritter?

Ritter to Host First TV Land Kudocast

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030129/tv_nm/television_ritter_dc_3