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Let's cut off tax funding for colleges
that prohibit showing the American flag
WASHINGTON, DC -- Public colleges that force patriotic students to
remove American flags because they are potentially "offensive" and
threaten to expel students who scold terrorist-cheering foreign
students should immediately lose their government funding, the
Libertarian Party said today.
"There's only one way to deal with taxpayer-funded college
administrators who think displaying the American flag is indecent, and
who try to deny First Amendment protection to people who speak out
against advocates of terrorism: Take away their money," said Steve
Dasbach, the party's national director.
"Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize colleges and their out-of-
touch administrators who try to make heartfelt patriotism a crime, and
who worship political correctness more than they respect fundamental
civil liberties."
Over the past few weeks, there has been a flurry of PC-inspired
disciplinary actions at government-run colleges, targeted at students
and professors in the wake of the bloody September 11 terrorist attack.
Some examples:
* At Central Michigan University, a school administrator told several
students to remove patriotic posters and an American flag from their
dormitory. A Residential Advisor said the pro-American items were
"offensive."
* At San Diego State University, Ethiopian student Zewdalem Kebede
overheard four Saudi Arabian students speak approvingly of the
terrorist attacks. When Kebede scolded the students in Arabic, they
complained to the school. In response, a university judicial officer
threatened to suspend or expel Kebede.
* At Pennsylvania State University, a professor was told that his
website -- which advocated military action against terrorists -- was
"insensitive and perhaps even intimidating." Under Penn State speech
codes, "intimidating" language is grounds for dismissal.
* At Florida Gulf Coast University, Dean of Library Services Kathleen
Hoeth demanded that employees remove "Proud to be an American" stickers
from their work areas, on the grounds they might offend international
students.
* At the University of North Carolina (Wilmington) a professor is under
investigation for "harassment" after he told a female student that he
supported U.S. military action in Afghanistan. The student said that
position made her "uncomfortable."
On the other side of the issue, professors and college employees have
also been suspended or threatened with dismissal for making
inappropriate jokes about the terrorist attacks, or for criticizing
past U.S. foreign policy.
The real problem, said Dasbach, is that about two-thirds of government-
run colleges have speech codes that prohibit "offensive" language.
Those codes, designed to eliminate racial, sexual, or ethnic
harassment, are now being used to suppress political speech --
including patriotic speech, he said.
"Since when did patriotism become a crime? Since when did the American
flag become offensive? Since when did it become wrong to be proud to be
an American?" he asked. "And, more importantly, why are U.S. taxpayers
being forced to subsidize colleges and universities that suppress
patriotism?"
Taking away those colleges' tax funding would not only send a message
that Americans don't support such policies, said Dasbach, but would
also turn government-run schools into private schools that would be
controlled by their customers -- students and their parents.
"The problem with government-run colleges is that they are managed by
tax-funded bureaucrats, not by employees eager to best serve their
customers," he said. "And parents are forced to pay taxes to support
those schools, even if they strongly object to such anti-patriotic
policies.
"Private colleges, on the other hand, must compete not only on the
basis of price and quality, but also on the basis of values and
regulations. In a free-market system, parents have the choice of
sending their children to a school that respects patriotism and free
expression -- or one that kowtows to political correctness and
censorship, and thinks the American flag is indecent."
that prohibit showing the American flag
WASHINGTON, DC -- Public colleges that force patriotic students to
remove American flags because they are potentially "offensive" and
threaten to expel students who scold terrorist-cheering foreign
students should immediately lose their government funding, the
Libertarian Party said today.
"There's only one way to deal with taxpayer-funded college
administrators who think displaying the American flag is indecent, and
who try to deny First Amendment protection to people who speak out
against advocates of terrorism: Take away their money," said Steve
Dasbach, the party's national director.
"Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize colleges and their out-of-
touch administrators who try to make heartfelt patriotism a crime, and
who worship political correctness more than they respect fundamental
civil liberties."
Over the past few weeks, there has been a flurry of PC-inspired
disciplinary actions at government-run colleges, targeted at students
and professors in the wake of the bloody September 11 terrorist attack.
Some examples:
* At Central Michigan University, a school administrator told several
students to remove patriotic posters and an American flag from their
dormitory. A Residential Advisor said the pro-American items were
"offensive."
* At San Diego State University, Ethiopian student Zewdalem Kebede
overheard four Saudi Arabian students speak approvingly of the
terrorist attacks. When Kebede scolded the students in Arabic, they
complained to the school. In response, a university judicial officer
threatened to suspend or expel Kebede.
* At Pennsylvania State University, a professor was told that his
website -- which advocated military action against terrorists -- was
"insensitive and perhaps even intimidating." Under Penn State speech
codes, "intimidating" language is grounds for dismissal.
* At Florida Gulf Coast University, Dean of Library Services Kathleen
Hoeth demanded that employees remove "Proud to be an American" stickers
from their work areas, on the grounds they might offend international
students.
* At the University of North Carolina (Wilmington) a professor is under
investigation for "harassment" after he told a female student that he
supported U.S. military action in Afghanistan. The student said that
position made her "uncomfortable."
On the other side of the issue, professors and college employees have
also been suspended or threatened with dismissal for making
inappropriate jokes about the terrorist attacks, or for criticizing
past U.S. foreign policy.
The real problem, said Dasbach, is that about two-thirds of government-
run colleges have speech codes that prohibit "offensive" language.
Those codes, designed to eliminate racial, sexual, or ethnic
harassment, are now being used to suppress political speech --
including patriotic speech, he said.
"Since when did patriotism become a crime? Since when did the American
flag become offensive? Since when did it become wrong to be proud to be
an American?" he asked. "And, more importantly, why are U.S. taxpayers
being forced to subsidize colleges and universities that suppress
patriotism?"
Taking away those colleges' tax funding would not only send a message
that Americans don't support such policies, said Dasbach, but would
also turn government-run schools into private schools that would be
controlled by their customers -- students and their parents.
"The problem with government-run colleges is that they are managed by
tax-funded bureaucrats, not by employees eager to best serve their
customers," he said. "And parents are forced to pay taxes to support
those schools, even if they strongly object to such anti-patriotic
policies.
"Private colleges, on the other hand, must compete not only on the
basis of price and quality, but also on the basis of values and
regulations. In a free-market system, parents have the choice of
sending their children to a school that respects patriotism and free
expression -- or one that kowtows to political correctness and
censorship, and thinks the American flag is indecent."
