BuzzFlash Reader Contribution

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Freedom of Speech Under Attack in Academia

Student Sending Hate Mail in Response to Faculty's Political Postings

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION

Universities are meant to be bastions of free thought and expression. Safeguards like tenure policies help ensure that ideas get aired and considered without reprisal. But at one large state university, a student emboldened by recent right-wing agenda successes has sent the following vitriolic, threatening e-mail, hoping to intimidate faculty and the university's administrators. And for what offense? The faculty member, in an election year, had put some political flyers up on his office door. BuzzFlash hopes faculty and administrators everywhere will be "mad as hell, and not gonna take it anymore."

From: _____
Date: December 23, 2004
To: _____
Cc: _____
Subject: Were you hired to teach or indoctrinate?

Mr. _____

I am a student who was recently subjected to the obnoxious display of propaganda that plasters your door (and surrounding wall). I was under the impression that offices in the English Department house English professors and I don't quite get the connection between your profession and your display. I'm hoping to avoid any classes with you in the future.

I'm thankful we live in a country that allows for opposing views. I strongly support President Bush and the unfortunate war we must wage in Iraq. It is people like you with your anti-war, anti-Bush, pro-socialist blather that contributes [sic] to the death of our men and women in the war. Liberals are so crazed for power rather than being horrified by mass graves in Iraq, planes flying into the World Trade Center, the UN oil for food scandal - they focus on the poor Iraqi prisoners who had underwear put on their heads. If the CIVILIZED people of the world would band together to fight against terrorism - we would have won by now. Unfortunately, we have to spend as much time and effort fighting artsy jerks like you, the French (who have been in cahoots with Hussein since day one), the UN, John Kerry who never said the same thing twice, and the rest of your uneducated bunch.

You may think you're smart and you may be brilliant in your field, but your field is certainly not world affairs. You are a little man, with a little mind who uses your role is (sic) the glorified world of academia to intimidate young minds and spew your ill researched opinions. The blood of our dead soldiers should be on your conscience because it is your venom that invigorates those who wish to do us harm.

(name withheld)

PS - If I see this posted anywhere in the school or on your website, or my name used by you in any manner - I will sue you and _____.

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION

An image of the actual email (click for larger, more readable verion):