Comments on: Professor Ordered to Take Down Cartoons

By: Obama and the Lesser of Two Evils

Obama and the Lesser of Two Evils — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 06:10:08 +0000

[...] The door of a conservative college professor is censored. (Hat Tip: Outside the Beltway.) [...]

By: Grewgills

Grewgills — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 01:34:32 +0000

Making fun of Islam, or any other religion, should be OK. Period.

Anywhere, at anytime?
Should it be OK for your child's kindergarten teacher to mock his/her religion or lack thereof?
grammar school teacher?
high school teacher?
college professor?

By: M1EK

M1EK — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:28:20 +0000

Making fun of Islam, or any other religion, should be OK. Period.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:51:28 +0000

I remember seeing professors publishing cartoons making fun of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Creationists, etc. on a regular basis.

Making fun of terrorists isn't the same as making fun of Islam, anyway.

By: Grewgills

Grewgills — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:42:51 +0000

I'm guessing that, if you walk down the halls at Lake Superior State University, you'll find plenty of cartoons making fun of Christians.

Well, Crandall and FIRE apparently could not find any of them. They posted pictures of doors that they felt were comparable and none of them included any insulting Christians (or mentioning them). The university was clear that the policy was to not allow "posting of materials that contain derogatory remarks based on religion or national origin." Posting materials designed to deliberately insult the religion or ethnicity of a group of your students is unprofessional at the very least.

By: Zelsdorf Ragshaft III

Zelsdorf Ragshaft III — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:06:46 +0000

Thank you James Joyner.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:47:45 +0000

It seems that the school is within its rights to have him remove cartoons or other material that demonize a particular religion or ethnicity. The picture of Reagan and the other nonsense should be allowed to stay. The statement from the school seems to indicate that it was the anti-Muslim cartoons that they wanted removed after receiving student complaints. The university would not allow cartoons mocking Christians or Jews to be posted on professors' doors either.

The United States, unlike Western Europe and Canada, does not restrict freedom of speech on the basis that some ethnic group or religion might get offended.

I'm guessing that, if you walk down the halls at Lake Superior State University, you'll find plenty of cartoons making fun of Christians. Certainly, that was the case at every university I ever attended or taught at.

By: Grewgills

Grewgills — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:36:01 +0000

There were quite a few things on his door and about a third of them were deliberately insulting to a particular religion. Most of the rest were typical Rush style right wing wind-baggery. It seems that the school is within its rights to have him remove cartoons or other material that demonize a particular religion or ethnicity. The picture of Reagan and the other nonsense should be allowed to stay. The statement from the school seems to indicate that it was the anti-Muslim cartoons that they wanted removed after receiving student complaints. The university would not allow cartoons mocking Christians or Jews to be posted on professors' doors either.

FIRE made a point of showing other professors doors with political sentiments, none of them demeaned any religious or ethnic group. The only one that could be even characterized as a political attack was one that commented on Bush and Cheney's ties to the petroleum industry.

By: DL

DL — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:30:56 +0000

Let's see now -Nazis marching in Skokie Illinos aren't a hostile environment but cartoons based upon some solid truth is. Offense is not protected by the Constitution - if it was, every darned liberal in America would have to leave, because I find them terribly offensive.

By: capital L

capital L — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:49:50 +0000

I don't suppose the university should try to understand the root causes of what makes the professor express himself in this way--that's the sort of privilege reserved for people who are actually creating a hostile environment.