The tale of John Matteson and the little fascist turd-boy...
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-speech16-2009feb16,0,6896300.story
I think if anyone presents such a paper in a class I'm teaching, I would stop her/him mid-way and inform the speaker and the class that the speaker is dangerously close to violating the school's rules on hate-speech. I would then instruct the speaker to meet with me privately, submit a new topic to me, and do the assignment over. I would further state that I am not violating the speaker's first amendment rights (should the class take place in the States), I'm only asking her/him to freely express these hateful ideas elsewhere and with the knowledge that anyone hearing her/him can present a counter argument in as passionate a manner as they see fit.
Hindsight being 20/20, I really don't blame the instructor for acting the way he did and I don't think he violated the student's rights. I think, rather, this is a case of someone hiding behind the first amendment when his hate-speech was criticized and his poor-wittle-Xtian-feelings got hurt. This asshole needs to realize that there's no law that protects you from getting your balls busted for saying something foolish.
What I'd like to know is how do I write to Matteson--the instructor--or his superiors, in support of his actions?
I think if anyone presents such a paper in a class I'm teaching, I would stop her/him mid-way and inform the speaker and the class that the speaker is dangerously close to violating the school's rules on hate-speech. I would then instruct the speaker to meet with me privately, submit a new topic to me, and do the assignment over. I would further state that I am not violating the speaker's first amendment rights (should the class take place in the States), I'm only asking her/him to freely express these hateful ideas elsewhere and with the knowledge that anyone hearing her/him can present a counter argument in as passionate a manner as they see fit.
Hindsight being 20/20, I really don't blame the instructor for acting the way he did and I don't think he violated the student's rights. I think, rather, this is a case of someone hiding behind the first amendment when his hate-speech was criticized and his poor-wittle-Xtian-feelings got hurt. This asshole needs to realize that there's no law that protects you from getting your balls busted for saying something foolish.
What I'd like to know is how do I write to Matteson--the instructor--or his superiors, in support of his actions?