Here We Go

The thought of ideas being publicly presented that do not fit the politically correct orthodoxy so frightens our local left-wing intelligentsia that the WSU administration, professors at two universities, and many different student groups are mobilizing to oppose one relatively small group of College Republicans. What a compliment to the CRs!!

If the filthy leftists wanted to squelch the CRs message, the best thing for them to do would be to completely ignore them. But this "Week of (In)tolerance" that they have cooked up is bound to give the CRs more media coverage than they might have gotten otherwise. And you know idiot barking moonbats like Streamas, Leonard, Gallegos, et. al. are bound to do or say something stupid. The primadonna messianic complex of these liberals will not allow them to sit idly by, no matter the consequences. All I can advise the CRs is to have plenty of spare batteries and memory cards ready for the video cameras.

And is this how WSU President Elson Floyd wants to start his administration? With a possible complaint being filed by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for active participation in chilling free speech on campus and negative coverage nationwide?

Palousitics will be covering it all. Remember, neohippies, the protestors' mantra from the 1968 Democratic Convention: "The whole world is watching!"

From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

WSU prepares for possible protests during 'Week of Tolerance'

'Islamo-Fascism' film causes controversy on Pullman campus

Washington State University students, faculty and leaders are preparing for possible clashes of political opinion on the Glenn Terrell Mall next week.

Several student groups - the Middle Eastern Student Association, the Young Democrats, the YWCA and the WSU Progressive Student Union are planning a "Week of Tolerance" with events each day after hearing another group on campus intends to show a movie as part of "Islamo-Fascism Week," promoted by the David Horowitz Freedom Center.

Chris Del Beccaro, political voice director for the WSU College Republicans, said the group received the movie from the David Horowitz Freedom Center and plans to show the film "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West" at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Todd Auditorium.

"We're just doing it to highlight the danger that radicalism imposes," Del Beccaro said. "It's not a theme that we feel is discussed often enough on campus. We're presenting the movie. That's pretty much it. We're only doing one event."

A nine-page "Student Guide to Hosting Islamo-Fascism Week" was distributed by the DHFC in the last month. The guide includes this description of the film that will be shown: "The acclaimed documentary Obsession uses unique footage from Arab television to create an 'insiders' view of the hatred Islamic radicals are teaching in the Middle East, their incitement of global jihad, and their goal of world domination. The film features interviews with Daniel Pipes, Steve Emerson, Alan Dershowitz, a former PLO terrorist, and even a former Hitler Youth commander."

Progressive Student Union member Chelsea Tremblay called the event "frightening.

"We don't want that kind of thing on our campus," she said. "We don't want that to look like it's a WSU event. We welcome people with different beliefs - but not if they're hateful."

Del Beccaro said the College Republicans have posters for the movie provided by the DHFC that say "Islamo-Fascism Week" - but the film is the only event they have planned.

"It's generating controversy, we believe unfairly," he said. "We've heard that it's anti-Muslim and hate speech. We don't believe it's any of that."

WSU President Elson Floyd sent the College Republicans a letter and posted it to the WSU community in his online column.

"I wish to reiterate the importance of the Muslim community to our university," Floyd wrote. "I fully understand concerns raised, in this post-9/11 era; however, civility and constructive discourse must always prevail. Our university will have no tolerance for overt actions or bigotry directed at members of any group based on their ethnicity or religion."

Del Beccaro said the film has been labeled by the Progressive Student Union and the Young Democrats as "socially intolerant."

"The way this is being perceived by the administration has taken on that same color," he said. "We don't necessarily appreciate that the administration has taken a political stance when we just want to show a movie just like any other group on campus."

In the last month, several professors from the University of Idaho and WSU have worked with the Progressive Student Union to plan the "Week of Tolerance," with daily themes on racial and ethnic equality, gender identity and sexual orientation, disability awareness and environmental issue education.

After the "Obsession" film Wednesday, there will be a forum with the dean of the College of Liberal Arts Erich Lear, counselors and the Muslim Student Association in Todd 211.

"We encourage people to participate in as many of these events as they can," the Progressive Student Union said in a statement on its Web site. "However we request that nobody attack, threaten, or attempt in any way try to harm any College Republican on campus."