Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Free, gratis and worth nothing

More on Ward Churchill's return to CU. The Drunkablog's source talked to a CU spokesrelativist and sent this:

Churchill has not been banned from campus. He was simply fired from his position. If certain student groups want to sponsor these types of events, that is their business; however, if you read [why does everyone question the D-blog's ability to read?], this is open to all students. That means any fee paying students and no student (College Repub, Campus Press student or otherwise) can be turned away. The media cannot be turned away either because these classes are being held on a public campus in a public building.

In all honesty I don't think these students thought this through. It will only bring more attention to Churchill and bad publicity to the students and student groups as other student groups can and may retaliate.

But again, I think attention will wane fast. Churchill is an aging, disgraced ex-professor, frantically trying to keep irrelevance at bay. It shows, too.

El Presidente reports that one of the sponsoring groups (assuming there's more than one) is 180 Degrees/Eleventh Hour, which I couldn't find in this list of CU student groups, nor on the interwebs. Probably just one of those instant ad hoc deals the posers are always forming.

Update: More free speech for Churchill's attorney to defend. The Rocky:

The student editor in trouble for printing the f-word has retained attorney David Lane, best known for representing former University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill.

J. David McSwane ran the words "F--- Bush" in headline-size type last week in the Colorado State University newspaper, the Rocky Mountain Collegian. He is to defend the decision at 7 tonight before a student publications board. Lane said he won't be at that meeting because he's involved in a murder trial.

"I wrote a letter to him outlining his legal rights and I told him to feel free to distribute it to the oppressors at CSU," Lane said. He said the letter analyzes First Amendment rights.

If McSwane is fired, it will be up to him if he sues, Lane said.

"If he wants to sue and they have retaliated against him for his First Amendment protected speech, I would be happy to do that. If he does not wish to sue, then that's his choice," Lane said.

This one might not be pro bono. Lane's already got one ward.

No comments: