Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Censorship in Colorado
Colorado Governor Bill Owens has called for the resignation of University of Colorado Professor Ward Churchill for comparing the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks "little Eichmanns." Governor Owens believes the state is not compelled to accept pro-terrorist views at the expense of taxpayers.
This controversy stems from an essay Churchill wrote titled "Some People Push Back: On the Justice of Roosting Chickens."
Just this Monday, Churchill stepped down from the position of Chairman of the Ethnic Studies and Coordinator of American Indian Studies.
Now I'm sure that liberals all over the place will go on about how Churchill's free speech is being violated...and how the fact that we're "censoring" this man makes us no better that the terrorists, etc.
I beg to differ.
As I understand it, free speech means that the government can't come and throw a person in jail for his or her unpopular political views. It does not mean that taxpayers should be forced to provide a forum for a person whose views they find repugnant.
Or to put in another way, let's say a person were to mouth off to his or her boss one day. He/she would obviously get fired, regardless of any "free speech" rights.
What do you all think?
This controversy stems from an essay Churchill wrote titled "Some People Push Back: On the Justice of Roosting Chickens."
Just this Monday, Churchill stepped down from the position of Chairman of the Ethnic Studies and Coordinator of American Indian Studies.
Now I'm sure that liberals all over the place will go on about how Churchill's free speech is being violated...and how the fact that we're "censoring" this man makes us no better that the terrorists, etc.
I beg to differ.
As I understand it, free speech means that the government can't come and throw a person in jail for his or her unpopular political views. It does not mean that taxpayers should be forced to provide a forum for a person whose views they find repugnant.
Or to put in another way, let's say a person were to mouth off to his or her boss one day. He/she would obviously get fired, regardless of any "free speech" rights.
What do you all think?
