Jagernauth: “It is getting harder and harder to take activists on the left seriously.”
Give that columnist a cigar. David Jagernauth has put forth the most forceful and clear-eyed Ol’ Dirty critique yet of the campaign against the OC. Witness:
I want to speak directly to my fellow progressives on campus — the ones mounting the attack on the Oregon Commentator. I am beyond disappointed in you. I am downright appalled that you are unable, or unwilling, to see the error of trying to silence a publication for content you don’t like. I am appalled to see you throw around the serious charge of “hate speech” for something so obviously innocuous.
Testify! Jagernauth also directs our attention to a call on the Portland Indymedia site to “Resist Hate Speech at UO.” Ah, no wonder things got unruly . . . Curiously, the posting urged people “to silently show solidarity with people who the Commentator is hurting.” I don’t yet know how to describe the circus that went down last Tuesday, but “silent” is not the first word I’d choose. Jagernauth on the Indymedia post:
Until we have mastered the technology whereby printed words are able to leap off the page and slap you in the face, no story has “directly hurt” anybody. And even so, is “hurt” now the standard for acceptable and unacceptable speech?
I certainly hope not. Speech’s power to “hurt” is one of the most basic reasons it is a right protected by the Constitution: free expression is the most powerful, yet peaceful, tool citizens can wield against their government officials. Criticism is not supposed to make you feel good. The sight of ASUO officials and program leaders wearing buttons reading “The OC hurts me” is truly surreal. Picture George W. Bush wearing a button that reads “The New York Times hurts me,” and you’ll see what I mean.
David Jagernauth, and all the other “liberals” and “progressives” who have rallied to our defense, we salute you. You get it.
Good editorial.
Booyah, Mr. Jaegernauth, Booyah.
Any edit that enhances communication is fine by me.
Michael, the links should be fixed now. Dan, I hope you don’t mind that I had to edit the post.
Indymedia sure likes free speech when it comes to using Nazi symbols and the Holocaust to defame George W. Bush. But when a conservative-leaning outlet thinks it’s entitled to the same level of humor as The Onion, well that just goes too far.
Good post Dan. Im sure the idiocy on thursday night will be even more dumbfounding than the first PFC meeting..
I did notice the posting on Portland’s Indymedia site shortly before the meeting on Tuesday. I must say that I was disappointed to say the least. If anyone should be standing in support of free speech, it’s Indymedia, especially considering their recent trouble with the FBI seizing some of their servers.
I can’t really think of anything to say that Mr. Jagernauth has not already said. At least, what I assume that he said, since both links in the article point to the same place.
nah nah told ya so! :)~
“Slap.”
Yes, snappy-snappies to Jagernauth. I especially enjoyed the mental image of words leaping off pages and hurting people. I wonder which word would be the most violent? Suggestions?
Testify, Atkinson! Oh wait … you did.