Thursday, October 27, 2005

What ever happened to free speech on campus?

Sounds like a politically correct Catholic kangeroo court at Duquesne University doesn't like the idea of free speech. Fair enough, the Catholic college is clearly within its bounds to write the obnoxious rules. But does such a stifling attitude extend to a student online and off campus? I don't know the details of any implied contractual arrangements between school and student at Duquesne. Meanwhile, Duquesne should do all of us a favor: don't pass yourself off as a citadel of liberal learning dedicated to free inquiry.

A Duquesne University sophomore who is in trouble for online comments said he's not backing down -- that he'd rather be thrown out of school than take back what he said.

"I'm stubborn. I stand up for what I believe in," said Ryan Miner. Miner, a political science major, wrote against the forming of a gay-straight student alliance at his college.

He posted his thoughts at Facebook.com, a private Web site popular with students from across the country.

A complaint was filed against Miner because he used the word "subhuman" when writing about gay people.

The university's Judicial Affairs panel found that those remarks violated the school's
university code of conduct.

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