A university is a bastion of free speech, an academic haven for unpopular ideas. Keep telling yourself that as you read the story of Crystal Dixon, an administrator — well, a former administrator now — at the University of Toledo (Ohio), a public university. Last month she was put on paid leave and then fired after she wrote an unpopular opinion in the major local newspaper, the Free Press:
As a black woman … I take great umbrage at the notion that those choosing the homosexual lifestyle are ‘civil rights victims.’ Here’s why. I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a black woman. I am genetically and biologically a black woman … Daily, thousands of homosexuals make a life decision to leave the gay lifestyle evidenced by the growing population of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex Gays) and Exodus International just to name a few.
She wrote her column in response to an earlier column by FP Editor in Chief Michael S. Miller in which he discussed the university’s policy about benefits for same-sex partners. A few weeks after Dixon’s column ran, the university president, Lloyd Jacobs, repudiated her views in a column of his own, writing, “Her comments do not accord with the values of the University of Toledo.”
Apparently that wasn’t enough, and so Dixon was disciplined and eventually fired. Agree or disagree with her views, there’s a little matter of free speech.
Miller, to his credit, said that while he strongly disagreed with Dixon’s comments, he defended her right to say them:
The university operates in an atmosphere of idea exchange, and while I recognize the institution’s desire to distance itself from her, this is a basic free speech issue and I am disappointed she has been punished for expressing her views.
This is the latest in a string of recent stories about free speech being punished, particularly when it comes to religious issues. For instance, there’s also this and this. We haven’t even talked about the chatter about some future American legislation restricting hate speech. I’m not nervously chewing my nails yet, but we might want to keep our eyes on stories like these. Too many of them are popping up for my comfort.
PS: Dixon recently launched a web site to express her views and raise donations.
I agree. We should all be allowed to say whatever we want, and the only censorship we need is our own common sense. If you think you should speak up, speak up. If you think you might offend someone, decide for yourself whether you speak up. This is not for anyone but you to decide. One person or one group cannot tell us what is correct to say or do. This is America. Toss ‘em a Brick, that’s what I did at bricktoss.com.
Comment by SgtPepper — June 16, 2008 @ 8:49 pm |
You can email, snail mail and blog all you want and defending free speach will go nowhere. I went to SgtPepper’s recommended site bricktoss.com and I think they have a unique idea there. It would raise many eyebrows if 10,000 bricks hit the senate mailroom on this single issue.
Comment by grover — June 23, 2008 @ 11:20 am |