Speak to Me!!

I'm writing, yet again, in response to an article in the opinion section of The Daily Watermelon, written by Graham Dart, entitled "The true meaning of freedom of speech: College Republicans miss the point for I-FA Week." First, I would like to honestly give a hand to Graham for writing what was a well written article, though I don't agree.

Mr. Dart comes out immediately to state that the College Republicans had the 1st Amendment Right to present the video "Obsession." Thank you, Mr. Dart. He also acknowledged that the counter-protesters (he didn't actually say their name in his article, and I'm not giving them any free advertising either) had that right as well. That's great. I, The Red Knight, agree. He states that some people take free speech to extremes, sometimes recklessly so. Cool.

Then Mr. Dart blew it.

He accused the CRs of "hid[ing] behind free speech and attacking those who dare to disagree with them," and trying to stifle debate. I strongly disagree. On the contrary, what we didn't like was a WSU department attempting to force us to advertise for another (and opposing) group on campus. If anything it was Campus Involvement that tried to violate our free speech rights. Imagine the FCC telling AT&T they had to advertise for Sprint.

And we did not try to stifle debate. We didn't encourage it very strongly, but we certainly didn't try to stifle it. Many of the CRs, including myself, attended the counter-protester's discussion session after the video in good faith. We were there in the spirit of debate and free speech. But what did it turn into? A CR-bashing. Did many of the counter-protesters respect our right to have a healthy share in the discussion? Not really. I thought they were very disrespectful, seeming to imply that if we had an opinion, it had to be compatible with theirs or it was wrong. Were the CRs polite when listening to another's talking points? Yes. Did they receive the same courteously? No.

Perhaps commentators of the more left-leaning persuasion should consider these things when chastising the CRs on an almost constant basis. If they did, I really don't believe they'd have to wonder why we are so suspicious of "discussions."

Now, as to the title of this article "The true meaning of freedom of speech," I don't believe Mr. Dart fully understands it either. He speaks of "free speech" as being the same as a First Amendment Right. It is not. I know that sounds strange, but it's true. I don't even believe that's an opinion: That's the way it is. The federal government has not authority (according to the constitution) to protect your right to free speech. Not a word. All the First Amendment says is that government cannot tell you what you cannot say:

"Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech."

That's all it says!!! Does it say a school can't prevent you from saying certain things? Noooooo. How about when a mother tells her son or daughter not to cuss? Should federal agents arrest her for violating little Johnny or Sally's freedom of speech? That's ridiculous.

So, essentially, if the College Republicans did do something to prevent the counter-protesters from speaking, it wouldn't be a violation of their First Amendment rights. It would be a violation of their freedom of speech, but not how the First Amendment defines it. Unless the CRs can be equated to Congress.

Chillin' Wit Da Mullahz

"High quality of life makes a big difference. When people have a good quality of life, they're chill and less prone to radical thinking. There's a lot of poor people supporting (the) wealthy."

- Our favorite Schwinn-riding moonbat, Alex McDonald, quoted in yesterday's Moscow-Pullman Daily News at the Progressive Student Union "discussion" following the WSU College Republicans' airing of the film "Obessesion: Radical Islam's War with the West" Wednesday night.

"They're chill?" What?

Maybe they need a Wal-Mart in Gaza, Alex?

Seriously, this is the most pathetic of all the leftist apologies for Islamic terrorism. It demonstrates just how flawed conclusions can be when viewed through the red-colored lens of American academic neo-Marxists. "It's class struggle!! It's multi-national corporations!! All they need is a living wage, good medical benefits and a labor union and everything will be fine!!"

Hogwash. Osama bin Laden comes from one of the wealthiest families in Saudi Arabia. Mohamed Atta, who crashed American Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, was a degreed architect and town planner. All of the 19 9/11 hijackers came from middle-class families and had college degrees. Shehzad Tanweer one of the London subway suicide bombers, left an estate worth 121,000 pounds.

In his book, Understanding Terror Networks, Marc Sageman studied 172 jihadists. He found that Al-Qaeda members are from the upper or middle class. Sageman notes, "the vast majority – 90 percent – came from caring, intact families. Sixty-three percent had gone to college, as compared with the 5-6 percent that's usual for the third world. These are the best and brightest of their societies in many ways."

Islamic terrorists are motivated by cultural and religious factors. It's ideology, stupid, not the economy.

WSU Gets Torched

Guess what has just been posted on the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education's blog, The Torch:

Free Speech under Attack during Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week

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."

Tom Henderson's Challenge To WSU's College Republicans

Lewiston Tribune editorial writer (and my immediate boss at the paper) has issued a challenge to WSU's College Republicans. It's actually a silly challenge and an unnecessary one. A successful Islamofascism Awareness Week does not require that sympathizers be identified. I would consider it quite successful if we showed that the mainstream media and Democratic politicians are minimizing, ignoring or dismissing the threat. I would start by reminding people that Washington's senior senator indicated that we could eliminate terrorism by building daycare centers in Islamic counntries.

Anyway, to read Tom Henderson's editorial, click the "read more" button. Unless something more newsworthy happens in the next couple of days, I'll have an answer for Tom in my own column Saturday morning. In the meantime, I suggest that the College Republicans get to work on Henderson's specific challenge. It shouldn't be hard. I have my own examples lined up, but if you folks come up with better ones, I'll include them on Saturday.

Name one liberal with kind words for terrorists
Tom Henderson
October 2, 2007

Find one Democrat in national office - just one - who doesn't think Islamic terrorism poses a threat to the United States.

While you're at it, find one mainstream American newspaper that has taken the editorial position that Islamic terrorism is a false threat fabricated by the Bush administration.

Sure, you can find some left-wing crackpots expressing such opinions if you shop around long enough. Does that mean all liberals in politics, academia and the media think that way? Of course not.

Neo-Nazis are usually conservative, but that doesn't mean all conservatives are neo-Nazis.

Students behind Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week at Washington State University need to remember that when they hold activities Oct. 22 to 26. Like-minded students at 73 other colleges and universities are holding similar activities.

These events are built on a shaky foundation. Organizers say they want to confront the "big lies of the political left." Liberals supposedly tell people that President Bush created the war on terror for his own political ends. "Anyone who links Islamic radicalism to the war on terror is an 'Islamophobe,' " states a guide to organizing the week's activities at www.terrorismaware
ness.org. "According to the academic left, the Islamo-fascists hate us not because we are tolerant and free, but because we are 'oppressors.' "

Where are these mythical lefties?

Actor Charlie Sheen says America itself blew up the World Trade Center as an excuse for war, but Charlie is generally not considered one of the nation's deep thinkers. Ward Churchill, the disgraced University of Colorado professor, called the victims of 9/11 "little Eichmanns," but he only got attention for being a loon.

Liberals might say President Bush has created more terrorists than he's eliminated with his disastrous invasion of Iraq, but you hardly need to be liberal to make that observation. They might say global warming poses a greater threat than terrorism to Earth's long-term ability to sustain human life. They might even say terrorists have motivations that run deeper than the pat "they hate freedom" answer.

But no reasonable person pretends Islamic terrorists aren't dangerous or has kind words for merciless killers who plot the deaths of thousands of people. Understanding the enemy is not the same as sympathizing with him. - T.H.