Politics And Current Events

[Tomas]

UofA response:

November 10, 2015

Dear University of Arkansas Community Member:

You may be aware of the events occurring on the campus at the University of Missouri as they address the ever-present need to treat every person as an individual worthy of respect. I am sure you will join us in wishing our faculty, student and staff colleagues in Columbia the very best as they struggle with a battle of tolerance, compassion and inclusion that we all know we must fight every day for the betterment of mankind.

The struggles at Missouri should cause all Americans to look at how they are doing in their fight for equality and respect as espoused in our country’s Declaration of Independence. Everyone on the University of Arkansas campus community should also stop to look at where we are, as a campus and as an institution, in recognizing that we can never relent in our fight to make each Razorback feel that he or she is wanted, needed and respected, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic that does not define or limit our humanity. We should do it not because of the difficulties at Missouri, but because it is the right thing to do.

With the Thanksgiving season fast approaching, we hope the university community is thankful for the good things we have. But we must also use this opportunity as a university to take the lead in publicly condemning unequal treatment of anyone.

Sometimes we feel that there is little that we can do as individuals to redress such long standing societal wrongs. But let us remember the inspiring words of Edward Everett Hale, who in 1902 said, “I am only one person, but still I am one person. I cannot do everything. But still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”

By recommitting each day our university to the cause of justice, equality and inclusion to all, and by each of us recognizing that even as one person we can do something, we can make the University of Arkansas a better place for every one of us to live.

Please join me in that recommitment,

Daniel E. Ferritor
Chancellor, 1986-1997, 2015

[NailedPenguin]

so trash talk is equivalent to someone drawing a literal **** swastika based on racial hatred...?

Man you make some leaps sometimes. First off, I'll wager that swastika was a hoax and done intentionally for the reasons we saw yesterday. It usually is.

Secondly, I'm not talking about on field trash talk vs. hurling racial epithets...I'm talking about the every day cry baby bullsht that we've seen trigger these idiots that they are inevitably going to deem as "hurtful language." If those are the rules you want at that school, it should apply to the players doing it on the field.

[Freddy Rumsen]

https://twitter.com/danpfeiffer/status/ ... 1009448960

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

University of Missouri Communications Assistant Professor Melissa Click.

She believes in journalism and communications, as long as it's *her* story that's being told.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/10/us/un ... .html?_r=0

this is one of the biggest reasons why I hate being in large crowds. People become so stupid once they have others agreeing with them and it just exponentiates the anger towards the people/person that are in the minority.

The people in the mob were walking into him and screaming "HES PUSHING ME" and everyone was agreeing with that. So **** stupid. People suck

[columbia]

TIL the meaning of SJW.

[CBear3]

I find it unbelievable that of all the things that could be faked, people think the #poopswastika was a hoax. I mean, if it was, I want to know how many cases deep they were when they decided on creating that to be the tipping point.

[grunthy]

Is there proof it actually happened? Or just reports of it?

Honestly I don't know.

[Freddy Rumsen]

In the days of smart phones are there no pictures of it?

[NailedPenguin]

Is there proof it actually happened? Or just reports of it?

Honestly I don't know.

Theres not a single report, video, photo of any of these incidents happening. No confirmation from police, students, or administrators to prove any of it. Which is why I think can't believe he was forced to step down so quickly.

[ExPatriatePen]

TIL the meaning of SJW.

<cough, single jewish woman, cough>

[CBear3]

Is there proof it actually happened? Or just reports of it?

Honestly I don't know.

Theres not a single report, video, photo of any of these incidents happening. No confirmation from police, students, or administrators to prove any of it. Which is why I think can't believe he was forced to step down so quickly.

*Kid on cell phone interrupting the rehearsal with the N word is currently suspended until his disciplinary hearing is complete (he'll be expelled). A campus security officer was within earshot apparently.
*I've heard mixed commentary about the #pooopswastika, one saying they found the offender and he was expelled; others saying he's still at large.

Really, having lived there for 4 years, and knowing plenty of townies and Ozark kids, these cases of individual bigotry don't surprise me. Most of the city/suburban bigots had at least learned that their survival meant keeping their bigotry behind closed doors by the time they reached college.

[NAN]

SEC! SEC! SEC!

[CBear3]

swastika: http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2015 ... all-feces/
Rehearsal: http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2015 ... raditions/

That's not to say the swastika couldn't have been "planted" if you're into that kind of thing but it most definitely existed.

[CBear3]

Source of the post SEC! SEC! SEC!

We were the Hillbilly Big12 when I went there. In fact we were almost still the Big 8. Nothing but farm boys.

[tifosi77]

Re red coffee cups

[Shyster]

Let's not be dramatic guys, every school from elementary on up has a handbook that protects against people being bullied, hate speech, etc. It's supposed to be a place for civilized thought (and yes, you should be challenged to adjust your world view but that doesn't involve being verbally assaulted).

I'm sure every campus's remedy is to contact the campus PD (because other than parking tickets and covering up the athletic teams missteps what are they really doing). The sky isn't falling (even if poking fun while the fire is still smoldering is another great American past time).

As a public university, the University of Missouri is every bit as obliged to follow and respect the First Amendment as any other governmental entity. Legally speaking, there is no such thing as "hate speech" under Constitutional law, and a great deal if not all of what could be considered "verbal assaults" would be protected speech under the First Amendment. Threatening a police response against those who say something "hurtful" serves to chill speech that would be constitutionally protected.

[CBear3]

Let's not be dramatic guys, every school from elementary on up has a handbook that protects against people being bullied, hate speech, etc. It's supposed to be a place for civilized thought (and yes, you should be challenged to adjust your world view but that doesn't involve being verbally assaulted).

I'm sure every campus's remedy is to contact the campus PD (because other than parking tickets and covering up the athletic teams missteps what are they really doing). The sky isn't falling (even if poking fun while the fire is still smoldering is another great American past time).

As a public university, the University of Missouri is every bit as obliged to follow and respect the First Amendment as any other governmental entity. Legally speaking, there is no such thing as "hate speech" under Constitutional law, and a great deal if not all of what could be considered "verbal assaults" would be protected speech under the First Amendment. Threatening a police response against those who say something "hurtful" serves to chill speech that would be constitutionally protected.

You've forgotten 10 times as much about the law than I'll ever know, but:
There's no difference in Campus Police investigating who said those naughty words or if it's my daughter's kindergarten teacher.
Going to college isn't a right, it's a privilege, one that can be revoked. A student willfully accepts the University's code of conduct, and that they will behave appropriately. It's a choice they made. If they violate it, they know and have accepted the possible outcomes.

You can't be arrested or criminally charged for "hate speech." But you can have the privilege of attending the university revoked.

Now you could say the code of conduct unfairly restrict free speech (and any State funded university wouldn't be allowed to use it), and I think you'd have a darn good point, but that's not the current interpretation of the constitution we're living with. Currently the N-word is akin to inciting a riot or yelling fire in a theater.

[grunthy]

swastika: http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2015 ... all-feces/
Rehearsal: http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2015 ... raditions/

That's not to say the swastika couldn't have been "planted" if you're into that kind of thing but it most definitely existed.

Is there an actual photo or just words from this guy?

[tifosi77]

You've forgotten 10 times as much about the law than I'll ever know...

Given where the rest of the post went, this probably would have been a good place to stop.

[CBear3]

You've forgotten 10 times as much about the law than I'll ever know...

Given where the rest of the post went, this probably would have been a good place to stop.

Hey, I thought I brought it back together in the last paragraph, lol

[Freddy Rumsen]

TIL that Ted Cruz and Rand Paul both support replacing the corporate tax with a VAT tax.

[Shyster]

You've forgotten 10 times as much about the law than I'll ever know, but:
There's no difference in Campus Police investigating who said those naughty words or if it's my daughter's kindergarten teacher.
Going to college isn't a right, it's a privilege, one that can be revoked. A student willfully accepts the University's code of conduct, and that they will behave appropriately. It's a choice they made. If they violate it, they know and have accepted the possible outcomes. You can't be arrested or criminally charged for "hate speech." But you can have the privilege of attending the university revoked. Now you could say the code of conduct unfairly restrict free speech (and any State funded university wouldn't be allowed to use it), and I think you'd have a darn good point, but that's not the current interpretation of the constitution we're living with. Currently the N-word is akin to inciting a riot or yelling fire in a theater.

Sorry, but that is incorrect. A public college or university cannot regulate or punish speech in the guise of a student handbook, “code of conduct” or similar vehicle. See, e. g., Dambrot v. Central Mich. Univ., 55 F. 3d 1177 (6th Cir. 1995) (striking down university harassment policy that prohibited “any intentional, unintentional, physical, verbal, or nonverbal behavior that subjects an individual to an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational, employment or living environment by … (c) demeaning or slurring individuals through … written literature because of their racial or ethnic affiliation; or (d) using symbols, [epithets] or slogans that infer negative connotations about the individual's racial or ethnic affiliation”); UWM Post, Inc. v. Board of Regents of Univ. of Wis. System, 774 F.Supp. 1163 (E.D.Wis. 1991) (striking down university speech code that prohibited “discriminatory comments” and statements that “[c]reate an intimidating, hostile or demeaning environment for education, university related work, or other university-authorized activity”); Doe v. University of Mich., 721 F.Supp. 852 (E.D.Mich. 1989) (striking down speech code that prohibited “stigmatizing or victimizing” individuals or groups on the basis of “race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, handicap or Vietnam-era veteran status”); Iota XI Chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity v. George Mason Univ., 993 F. 2d 386 (4th Cir. 1993) (overturning on First Amendment grounds university’s sanctions on a fraternity for conducting an “ugly woman contest” with “racist and sexist” overtones).

Now, I certainly recognize that many universities continue to have speech codes similar to the ones in these cases. And those speech codes are unconstitutional. Governments do unconstitutional stuff all of the time. They also lose § 1983 lawsuits all of the time. It doesn’t mean those codes pass constitutional muster.

Also, the precedent dealing with minors in K–12 education is very different from the cases dealing with colleges and universities. Generally speaking, minors do not have the full panoply of constitutional rights that are available to adults, and the cases dealing with speech and disciplinary actions in K–12 are much more deferential to the schools than the cases dealing with colleges and universities. So the disciplinary abilities of a kindergarten teacher are very different from the disciplinary abilities of a public-university administrator.

Finally, there is no "racist speech" exception to the First Amendment. Unless they are part of direct threats of violence or similar speech, racial epithets are still protected speech under the First Amendment.

[tifosi77]

Yeah, @CBear3 Shyster's response is what I was getting at.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

The Federalist: Why is there zero evidence poop swastika existed?

http://thefederalist.com/2015/11/10/was ... iant-hoax/

[Freddy Rumsen]

The Luke Russert apple fell far from the tree. Pretty sure there was a reason they were not in Washington at 3:00pm this afternoon.

https://twitter.com/LukeRussert/status/ ... 0540585984