September 24, 2011

Prof. Donald Downs demands answers from the University of Wisconsin about the Doubletree protest against Roger Clegg.

Noting the university's vaunted devotion to "sifting and winnowing," he writes:
There is a key First Amendment distinction between protest and disruption...

Disruption is a problem for at least two reasons. First, it violates the rights of speakers and listeners. Second, it sends a message that the topic under discussion is taboo, and, therefore, not a proper subject for public discussion...

What do University of Wisconsin leaders have to say about what happened at the press conference? Are they prepared to support and espouse the rules that make free speech possible? Did some administrators play a role in encouraging protests? If so, were they acting consistently with their professional responsibilities?

Only by seriously addressing these and related questions can we proceed together as a community bound by a common commitment to legal speech, counter-speech and protest.
Downs ought to get answers to these questions, but I tend to doubt that he will.

I'm creating a new tag, "Doubletree protest," so click there if you want to go back to those old posts to get up to speed. That protest is a sub-issue to 2 major issues — with very specific Wisconsin content — which I am covering, long term, on this blog: 1. protests and 2. affirmative action. I'm trying to control tag proliferation, but I'm glad I made a "Wisconsin protests" tag last winter instead of relying solely on my old "protest" tag. But to make a sub-category out of one Wisconsin protest... that seemed ridiculous... until it didn't.

11 comments:

Trooper York said...

By all means control tag proliferation.

I think there is a UN treaty to that effect that bans all tags for garage mahal.

SteveR said...

I doubt Downs will get an answer either. The obvious and inconvenient truth is the UW administration has no problem with the disruption. The moral PC high ground occupied by the really smart people is able to decide when free speech is necessary. In the case of the Neanderthals at CEO, free speech is not deserved.

Sal said...

I want to hear more from the self-described "consumate thought leader," Damon Williams. Oops, I mean Dr. Damon Williams.

Carol_Herman said...

Okay. But why doesn't donald downs just walk to the Doubletree Hotel, and either "ask management." Or go in through the door marked "kitchen" ... and ask anyone there if they remember an incident where the cooks were tossed around?

You know, the Doubletree Hotel has an odd kitchen! They don't have a grease trap that could have been "off-handed-ly" tossed at some bozo breaking into their space.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT!

And, then, an easy arrest for police. As they could "capture" the bandit who first broke through that door ... all covered in bandages.

A "good lawyer" would then demand that his client be photographed for his mug shot ... while covered in bandages.

WIN-WIN

Here? A putz is trying to figure out what happened, only to learn Tubbs and his police "don't do reports."

Tubbs can draw you stick figures.

(Where the best joke possible ... was the stick configuration of Abrahamson in a chair where none of the 3-stick-figures could have seen this seated monstrosity.

Donald Downs will NEVER out-do the "mishigas" with choke-holds.

And, he better take along an interpreter ... Or the witnesses in "that" kitchen ... won't be able to describe anything.

geokstr said...

Having mindless drones shout down anyone they disagree with has been a staple of the left here in the US since at least the sixties, and was a prime tool in the kit of the Nazis in their rise to power. Make sure the opposition can't be heard, and if you shout loud enough, you can magnify the effect of smaller numbers.

Saints Saul of Alinsky and Karl of Marx would be proud.

Speaking of St Karl, the Harvard Crimson, official newspaper of the student body, has an opinion piece openly extolling the "new communist theory". You know, the one where they'll do it right this time, and won't have to starve but half as many as last time.
Two Constitutions, Two Futures

It's a perfect example of the mindset many of our modern leaders come fully equipped with from the Ivy League (and elsewhere).

I really was thinking back when the wall fell that homo sapiens sapiens was finally rid of that totalitarian scourge. I should have known better. All they did was change their team names to Progressives and Marxists, and continue on with their march through the institutions. Looks like their journey is nearly over too, unless Obama gets replaced by a strong conservative who can begin to roll back some of this statist crap installed in the last several years and before.

edutcher said...

I like this guy - Downs, I mean.

He's honest and he doesn't play games with the fact that rights are for everybody, not just the chosen (Lefty, of course) few.

And thank you for seconding him, Madame. This is something that's about 50 years overdue on campi all across this country.

David said...

Don't stop tagging until you have 140,000 tags, just like Medicare. Your topic is the entire world, not just medicine, so you ought to be able to exceed 140k.

As to the investigation, do not hold your breath. They would have to include the Diversity King Damon Williams as a subject, since his incitement (yes, I know the word is conclusory) was a crucial element.

Alex said...

IT's the Madison thugocracy!

sorepaw said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kirby Olson said...

Rename it the Wisconsin Reeducation Camp. Then the confusion over the university's mission will no longer exist.

Carol_Herman said...

You know what professors have to hate?

Admissions really go after "big bucks" students. They're not home grown!

When your classes start ... you get these "selected foreigners" who can't speak English.

It's made worse if they come with "attitude" where they "riot." To get grades. And, scare the crap out of professors!

What can you do?

Well, from what I learned at Pasadena City College ... there's lots you can do WITH TESTS! Pass them out on Day #2. And, watch incompetent students FLEE.

Of course, in Wisconsin ... they'll "flee" to the administrators ... who can make life miserable for some.

It's the "politics."

On campuses that have "politics" and "hierarchies" ... You can expect Dartmouth's ANIMAL HOUSE!

That was a wonderful movie!

Sometimes nothing changes.

But where administrators run into "foul lines" ... is when out-of-state kids won't come to your school. Not even from the Mideast. All those kids?

They want to go to Stanford. And, Harvahd.

You're lucky when you're not popular.

Not so lucky, though, when your crop of students are dumb. And, you can't just get them out of your classroom with "scare the shit out of them" tests.