If Obama is met with controversy, wouldn’t you think that a convicted terrorist involved in 19 bombings and 10 bank robberies. The University of Massachusetts must not have. The professors decided to invite Raymond Luc Levasseur to speak at their school Nov. 5. Due to heavy controversy, the event was cancelled.
Not even criticism from the Gov. Deval Patrick could persuade the professors from pushing beyond the first cancellation to a reschedule of the speech. The professors claimed that due to academic freedom, they are entitled to allowing this man to speak. Academic freedom is basically the idea that professors can give their opinions on subjects and that students can be introduced to many ideas. Check it out. The administration did not step in and take action in order to preserve academic freedom.
Now, it was definitely a surprise to find out that people would protest Obama in a school, but it does not surprise me very much that a convicted felon would gain some flak. The arguments are that he has done his time and paid his price so he should be able to speak. They want to bring him in to talk at “Amherst Libraries’ fifth annual Colloquium on Social Change. Along with writers Todd Gitlin and Raymond Mungo, Levasseur was to represent the social unrest of the late 1960s.”
Other people feel that since he murdered a police officer and was involved with these bombings he has lost his privileges. They also fear that he will use his speech to recruit members to his once formed United Freedom Front that he was involved in before going to jail.
At what point do you lose or gain privileges to speak to our youth? Presidency? Early parole and honoring you parole for 3 months? Come on people, we need to build up some consistency and cohesion. If people are worried about Obama pushing his agenda, then I would say we need to be extremely concerned about a newly released felon pushing his agenda!
I do appreciate what academic freedom has allowed professors to do, but pushing past the non support of administration and past the total disagreement of a governor is a bit foolish. Academic freedom should only have so much freedom. If the administration is strongly against it, they should have the power to shut it down.
If the professors do go through with the speech, they need to strictly monitor what Mr. Levasseur has to say.
What do you think?
Philip
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This is very unnerving. I would be very upset if my child went to this school. I think it is irresponsible to allow this ex-con to speak all in the name of academic freedom, but protest the President of the United States. What is going on. When you become convicted of a felon you loose many rights. That should be highly considered before speaking in front of a group of impressionable youth. Yes, I understand they might have a great story of rehibilitaion and fixing their life and so on, but I agree with you that his speech needs to be totally monitored in advance. That is a total insult and unAmerican that the President is not worthy of speaking for their student body, regardless of what agenda he would discuss. After all he is the President. In my opinion this "academic freedom" is taking the right of free speech too far.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Haraseth
Philip -
ReplyDeleteWhile I appreciate you taking such a strong stand on this issue, I have to admit I have very mixed emotions regarding it. On one hand, my initial reaction was, "Well if he served his 18 year sentence and has done well while on parole, why not let him speak with regards to having his speech censored? Then on the other hand, I think, "Why are these professors going against the administration of the university? Are they trying to lose their jobs?" In my opinion this is an act of insubordination. I agree that because the President of the United States met so much controversary with his non-threatening speech to students, it seems unthinkable to have a speaker like this. However, I also believe in rehabiliation. Eighteen years is a long time in prison. How do we know if he is not remorseful as the article stated? How do we know if he is or isn't rehabilitated? Apparently the parole board thought so. At any rate, you can see my mixed emotions on this subject. Now, having said all of this, if I were a student at the school I probably would not attend. It'll be interesting to see how many students attend the speech.
Thanks for sharing and getting us to think about such issues.
Kimberly
Philip,
ReplyDeleteThat's amazing to consider. Personally, I'd love be audience to Obama as well as someone who's gone through so much and made so many poor decisions. I am the type of person that likes to figure people out a little bit, and ponder what they have to say with a grain of salt. I think it's sad that a convicted killer such as this man wasn't put to death, however. That's part of the problem. In places like India, which isn't all that awesome or amazing overall, they cut people's hands off for stealing or do severe punishment for things Americans get away with on a daily basis. We get away with things so much in this country, our lines of morality and what's right and wrong have been blurred. In my opinion, it's because of leaders like Obama, who promote political correctness and this so called "Academic Freedom" without the responsibility for their words and actions attached.
The reason why these professors wanted to do that with this convicted murderer is because they think the "freedom" they created in their minds is their "get out of jail free card." They can do whatever they want without repercussions to society and/or themselves.
Common sense says put those criminals convicted, without a doubt, for murder to death and we'll have less senseless crime in the nation. Also, common sense would say that it should be cheaper than keeping them alive for years in jail, even though I've heard arguments it isn't. Anyway, when people are held accountable, it makes everyone else think twice about murder. When politicians and professors glorify them and place them on a national spot-light and pedestal, more lunatics will surface as we see evident each day in the media who feeds off their lunacy.
Good thoughts. Have a good week.
Randy B.
Hello-
ReplyDeleteYou make some interesting points in the blog. I would think the professors at the school would step back and review what this indiviual has done and see that his speaking might cause some people to feel uneasy. On the other hand, since he has done his time should he not be given another chance? I am not sure yet what to think.
I would hate for the govenment to regulate what speakers can come to a college campus because this is a different enviroment and students should be exposed to other points of view. I don't like the fact that the college is glorify someone that committed murder but academic freedom does have more pros then cons in my view.