“Are you insane?” (AKA What would Ghandi do?)
When ASUO Programs Finance Committee member Dan Kieffer called the First Amendment an “unjust law” and declared his willingness to defy the Supreme Court of the United States in following his conscience, he unwittingly placed himself in the ranks of a small, sorry cadre on the wrong side of history. Read on and compare.
1832
“John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it.”
-President Andrew Jackson, allegedly reacting to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Worcester v. Georgia, holding state policies of Indian removal from tribal lands unconstitutional. Although the quote is likely apocryphal, Jackson made no effort to enforce the court’s ruling against state persecution of Indian tribes — unsurprising, given Old Hickory’s reputation as an Indian killer.
1954
“A clear abuse of judicial power” that “will bring implications and dangers of the greatest consequence.”
-US Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr., referring to the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education, ordering the desegregation of public schools. Byrd called for “Massive Resistance” to the Court’s decision in his home state of Virginia, orchestrating legislative efforts to thwart and elude the legal obligations established by the Supreme Court.
1957
“Blood would run in the streets.”
-Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, explaining his decision to deploy the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine black students from enrolling in a white high school, in defiance of the US Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
2005
“I’m unable to say anything viewpoint-neutral at this point . . . If I’m disobeying an unjust law, then I feel justified in doing so, and the Executive can fire me for doing it.”
-PFC member Dan Kieffer, declaring his defiance of the Supreme Court’s decision in Board of Regents v. Southworth, holding that the First Amendment required a viewpoint-neutral mechanism for the allocation of state funding within a designated public forum.
There is a difference between liberals and Stalinists, that’s for sure. Barely, in some cases, but I think all honest liberals would probably be on the right side of this. I think Chris is right about dirty, stinky hippies, but this is America they can be dirty and stinky if they want to be. And they can burn all the flags and say all the mean things about the POTUS that they want. This isn’t Europe, we have free speech here. Whether or not many folks will want to associate with their patchouli-smelling, hemp wearing, unbathed asses is another matter entirely. Do I hear freedom of association anyone? HUZZAH!
Yep. That’s it, Chris. I’m stepping outside the law here and I’m rejecting your mission statement. I’m also defunding you of your imaginary “everytime” dollars.
Dear Chris: My Schwinn Suburban with baskets and personalized license plate resents that comment. I shower more than some conservatives I know. I am a liberal and yet I’m on the Commentator’s side of this circus (as are many other “filthy liberals” who happen to shower daily. I propose some some more thoughtful and less prejudiced comments. Though, it is just a suggestion…I won’t stifle your speech or anything.
If I had a dollar for everytime some filthy liberal cried “free-speech” while burning the flag or hurling hate-filled comments towards the president, then rode their shitty bike to a rally to protest “hate-speech” I would have enough dollars to buy a whole lot of OE 40’s. The hypocrisy from these ingrates is getting so, so old. Fuck ’em. Free the OC!
If you guys haven’t seen it yet, here’s a link to a Portland Vanguard editorial about all of this:
http://www.dailyvanguard.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/01/41ff3cfd9a4be?in_archive=1
We don’t want to end up on double secret probation!
This whole chain of events resembles a sub-plot from Animal House.
Shouldn’t the OC be hosting a Toga Party (or some reasonable facsimile)the night before the next hearing?
As Colin Powell once said “Free speech is intended to protect the controversial and even outrageous word; and not just comforting platitudes too mundane to need protection.” Or, to quote John Milton, “Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.” –Prof. Bainbridge.
Have you guys tried filing a grievance with the Con Court yet? I’m sure you could get a ruling before your next budget meeting.. not that it would do any good seeing as PFC doesn’t even recognize the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court, but hey it could add to all the zany fun.
Oh, and I gotta say, that whole Dan Kieffer admitting on record that he’s breaking Southworth during government proceedings (“I’m unable to say anything viewpoint-neutral…”) probably won’t help their case much should this thing make it to a lawsuit. I can almost feel sorry for them.. no, wait, no I can’t.