2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the Editor
Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Opinion
Cal State San Marcos has always been a strong proponent of the right to free speech, and rightly so: the privilege to articulate one's thoughts in a forum that is both civilized and nonthreatening should be paramount for any equally-civilized institution and even more so if, as is the case at San Marcos, those free-thinkers constitute that institution's whole reason for being.
In recent weeks, the notion of a "civilized" and "nonthreatening" arena for free speech has been damaged, if not wholly compromised. The arrival on campus of several highly inflammatory evangelist speakers has neither contributed to the intellectual growth of campus students nor given those students a balanced forum in which to voice their concerns. Quite the opposite, these self-proclaimed "preachers" have served up nothing but angry, vicious hate at any and all unfortunate enough to find themselves within earshot. These recent rallies demonstrate not a tool for the proliferation of individual thought but a method by which to belittle and condemn.
This is not to say that provocative or difficult subject matter should be banned outright from public discussion; history shows us that the discussion of things that many might consider unsavory is oftentimes the first step to overcoming differences and reaching a mutually appeasing end. There is however no end to be found in the speeches as of late, just as there is no sense of dialogue: these speakers arrive and leave with their minds set and ears closed. They view the world through painfully narrow blinders, refusing civilized discussion of their points in any form. So little do they stake in the opinions of San Marcos students that they are willing to continue their tirades over a sea of voices, oblivious or otherwise ignoring the cries of dissent in the gathered crowds.
Would these men and women be equally welcome if their message was one which condemned Latin Americans? Would Cal State San Marcos be so open to the ravings of a flagrant anti-Semite? If this trend of defamatory orators is to continue, when might the students of California State University San Marcos be privy to a visit from Jeff Berry?
Should these evangelists continue to be welcomed to Cal State San Marcos to preach their perversions and fling their baseless accusations at the very institution that welcomed them, it seems unlikely that San Marcos will be remembered as an institution of civilized discourse. Rather, the message will be sent that California State University San Marcos welcomes any and all to its steps, regardless of message, so that they might condemn and deprecate its students in any way that they see fit.
There is a fine line between free speech and verbal assault. Those responsible for allowing granting these speakers audience would do wise to seek it out.
- Derek Heid
The loom of Evangelist Preachers is nothing new to our campus. Especially these last few weeks -- we have been bombarded by the resounding voices of preachers every day for a couple weeks. But it wasn't until today that I was able to actually appreciate them.
Don't get me wrong, it's not that I didn't care before, I have my beliefs and I've been raised on them, but I just haven't been able to truly appreciate what these preachers had to say until I heard - him!
Throughout the crowd of students there was a haze of why is this guy here? and it was really bothering me. It was just like any other evangelical event, at least until this guy opened his arrogant mouth!
This guy, I'll call him Red Shirt, was standing there with the rest of us, only he was spouting off a terrible amount of absolute crap! I could almost swear he was merely there for the strict purpose of hearing himself argue with this guy who was trying, not very convincingly I'll admit, to show people the love of Christ.
Red Shirt guy was responding to each of this preacher's comments with comments of his own. Mind you, his comments were 100% nonsensical and arrogant as well as ignorant. To say the least, I was about two stupid comments away from punching this guy.
His desire to rile the crowd up with his complete bosh was so much more than annoying. His constant screaming, "that guy over there has a beard, is he going to hell?" got really old really fast. Yelling at the evangelist and getting in his face with signs that read "CSUSM is Hate Free" which, while it is a nice concept, it does not here, nor on any other campus, exist, merely showed his ignorance.
This guy was simply so full of himself and so eager to hear himself argue that he didn't consider what these evangelists were trying to do. While I do not agree with that type of evangelism, I still think they have relevant things to say and an important message in there somewhere.
If people like this ignorant, Red Shirt guy would just shut up and allow the people who want to hear the message actually hear it, perhaps there would be a better understanding of what is and is not a true belief system. There is a time and place for irrelevant and arrogant opinions, like at a bar while drinking; but not at an evangelist's pulpit, and certainly not at a school.
- Adam Lowe
In recent weeks, the notion of a "civilized" and "nonthreatening" arena for free speech has been damaged, if not wholly compromised. The arrival on campus of several highly inflammatory evangelist speakers has neither contributed to the intellectual growth of campus students nor given those students a balanced forum in which to voice their concerns. Quite the opposite, these self-proclaimed "preachers" have served up nothing but angry, vicious hate at any and all unfortunate enough to find themselves within earshot. These recent rallies demonstrate not a tool for the proliferation of individual thought but a method by which to belittle and condemn.
This is not to say that provocative or difficult subject matter should be banned outright from public discussion; history shows us that the discussion of things that many might consider unsavory is oftentimes the first step to overcoming differences and reaching a mutually appeasing end. There is however no end to be found in the speeches as of late, just as there is no sense of dialogue: these speakers arrive and leave with their minds set and ears closed. They view the world through painfully narrow blinders, refusing civilized discussion of their points in any form. So little do they stake in the opinions of San Marcos students that they are willing to continue their tirades over a sea of voices, oblivious or otherwise ignoring the cries of dissent in the gathered crowds.
Would these men and women be equally welcome if their message was one which condemned Latin Americans? Would Cal State San Marcos be so open to the ravings of a flagrant anti-Semite? If this trend of defamatory orators is to continue, when might the students of California State University San Marcos be privy to a visit from Jeff Berry?
Should these evangelists continue to be welcomed to Cal State San Marcos to preach their perversions and fling their baseless accusations at the very institution that welcomed them, it seems unlikely that San Marcos will be remembered as an institution of civilized discourse. Rather, the message will be sent that California State University San Marcos welcomes any and all to its steps, regardless of message, so that they might condemn and deprecate its students in any way that they see fit.
There is a fine line between free speech and verbal assault. Those responsible for allowing granting these speakers audience would do wise to seek it out.
- Derek Heid
The loom of Evangelist Preachers is nothing new to our campus. Especially these last few weeks -- we have been bombarded by the resounding voices of preachers every day for a couple weeks. But it wasn't until today that I was able to actually appreciate them.
Don't get me wrong, it's not that I didn't care before, I have my beliefs and I've been raised on them, but I just haven't been able to truly appreciate what these preachers had to say until I heard - him!
Throughout the crowd of students there was a haze of why is this guy here? and it was really bothering me. It was just like any other evangelical event, at least until this guy opened his arrogant mouth!
This guy, I'll call him Red Shirt, was standing there with the rest of us, only he was spouting off a terrible amount of absolute crap! I could almost swear he was merely there for the strict purpose of hearing himself argue with this guy who was trying, not very convincingly I'll admit, to show people the love of Christ.
Red Shirt guy was responding to each of this preacher's comments with comments of his own. Mind you, his comments were 100% nonsensical and arrogant as well as ignorant. To say the least, I was about two stupid comments away from punching this guy.
His desire to rile the crowd up with his complete bosh was so much more than annoying. His constant screaming, "that guy over there has a beard, is he going to hell?" got really old really fast. Yelling at the evangelist and getting in his face with signs that read "CSUSM is Hate Free" which, while it is a nice concept, it does not here, nor on any other campus, exist, merely showed his ignorance.
This guy was simply so full of himself and so eager to hear himself argue that he didn't consider what these evangelists were trying to do. While I do not agree with that type of evangelism, I still think they have relevant things to say and an important message in there somewhere.
If people like this ignorant, Red Shirt guy would just shut up and allow the people who want to hear the message actually hear it, perhaps there would be a better understanding of what is and is not a true belief system. There is a time and place for irrelevant and arrogant opinions, like at a bar while drinking; but not at an evangelist's pulpit, and certainly not at a school.
- Adam Lowe
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
Gary Rice
posted 3/05/08 @ 9:44 PM PST
I believe that when we reach a point in the discourse when we start discussing what types of speech should be allowed and disallowed is extremely dangerous. (Continued…)
M. Mickley
posted 3/16/08 @ 6:35 PM PST
The concept of a forum which Derick Heid hits on -
"a forum that is both civilized and nonthreatening"..
This sort of forum seems to me like it would be an inviting atmosphere for good discussion. (Continued…)
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