Having two sons who are alumni of the University of Florida, I am appalled by the apparent attitude of a faculty member in a position of power over students attending the University.
The faculty member involved is Dr.Patricia-Telles Irvin, Vice-President of Student Affairs. The good doctor appears to be more concerned with the feelings of the minority Muslim students than she is in protecting free speech as illustrated by the following dialog.Delray Beach Republican Rep. Adam Hasner released a press statement tonight demanding an apology from University of Florida Student Affairs VP Patricia Telles-Irvin, pictured above, who had the misfortune of grabbing the lighting rod that is the movie Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West.
The movie, which some pan as anti-Muslim propaganda, has caused such a controversy at college campuses across the country that some schools have canceled showings. But others have praised the movie for its vivid depiction of Islamo-Fascism: Hasner encouraged fellow legislators to see this documentary this spring.
At the University of Florida, a coalition of student Republican and Jewish groups promoted the movie with fliers that read "Radical Islam Wants You Dead.
Some UF students expressed concerns for their safety after seeing the fliers, which prompted Telles-Irvin to send an e-mail to the complete student body that discussed the responsibilities that come along with free speech. She said the groups that designed the advertisement owed Muslims on campus an apology!
Enter Hasner.
Hasner, e-mailed UF President James Machen to say that he disagreed the posters posed an "inherent threat to campus safety."
"According to the administration's view of the world, elements of Radical Islam do not want to kill us," Hasner wrote. "Not only is this view wrong, but it is itself dangerous."
Hasner said that the incident has called into question UF's commitment to free speech. To restore confidence, Hasner suggested a "public reprimand" of Telles-Irvin and a "substantive and enunciated" free speech policy for the school.
According to Hasner's press release, Attorney General Bill McCollum is also involved.
Hasner quoted a Dec. 3, 2007 letter McCollum sent Machen saying that the Telles-Irvin's e-mail "may have violated the free speech rights of the students and organizations who posted this ad and sponsored the movie" and "at the very least it has created a chilling effect on the free speech rights of students."
"Dr. Telles-Irvin's letter may have violated the free speech rights of the students and organizations who posted this ad and sponsored the movie. At the very least it has created a chilling effect on the free speech rights of students enrolled at the University of Florida. As the Attorney General of Florida, it is my duty to protect the constitutional rights of all Floridians including civil rights and free speech rights. Consequently, I have asked attorneys in my office to review this matter and advise me what if any action this office should pursue. I am writing to request that you review this matter with your staff, legal counsel and the University of Florida Board of Trustees and, if they concur with my concerns, formulate and take some appropriate remedial action.
No doubt Dr. Telles-Irvin was responding in her letter to the sensitivities of the Muslim students on campus. While the Muslin faith should be honored and respected and most practicing Muslims are not radical and not terrorists, the United States has been at war with radical Islamic terrorists since September 11, 2001. The movie "Obsession," which I have seen, describes the nature of our enemy and this war. The headline on the ad for the movie reading "RADICAL ISLAM WANTS YOU DEAD" is one of the messages in this movie and is a true statement of the intent of these radical Islamic terrorists. In her letter Dr. Telles-Irvin says, "regardless of its original intent, the language reinforced a negative stereotype, created unnecessary divisiveness and contributed to a generalization that only furthers the misunderstanding of the religion of Islam." This may be the view of Dr. Telles-Irvin, but a great many Americans would disagree and argue that it is essential to the discussion and understanding of this war that the terrorists be properly and correctly labeled as radical Islamists who by their very actions clearly want us dead. Students and student organizations who hold this latter view should not be stifled in their free expression of it."
I will still root for the Gators, but am glad I won't be sending another of my children to UF.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment