Ok class, today we’re going discuss the Bill of Rights and how it applies to this public institution we call the Northeastern Illinois University. But first let’s take a look at the First Amendment, most specifically the Freedom of Speech (now read along):
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
This means, plain and simple that we as people have the right to speak our mind anywhere in the public.
This University has a different idea on what’s “public” and what’s “private.” Apparently, officials at this school feel that outside and the “Village Square” is where people can protest anything; their even getting limits imposed in those areas, in what have been termed, “Free Speech Zones.”
The university set up a task force to recommend policies regarding protests after another incident with the military and anti-war and anti- recruitment protesters, this time at a job fair in Alumni Hall.
The taskforce recomended there be no free speech zones as the whole campus was one. These recommendations were then sent to President Steinberg and VP of Student Affairs Melvin Terrell to die. Why waste everyone’s time with commissions and taskforces if after the story fades from the headlines nothing is done.
Back in fall of 2004 our school had a strike, student protesters were able to chant around former University President Salme Steinberg’s office, of course students couldn’t go in because the door was locked but no one was arrested for “battery.” Also, professors that were going to strike were able to march all through the halls banging pots and pans and never got arrested for “interference with the public.”
But, according to Campus Anti-War Network (CAN) members like Angela Vela, they (the Socialist Club and CAN members) just wanted to see what if they could start peaceful and organized debate with the CIA when they held a recruiting event on Feb. 28 where two students were arrested for “battery” and “interference with the public.” (see page 1)
Here is the difference, someone at the event acted as a security guard, this person’s official title is Chief Clerk, while using her body to physically block students attending this school trying to enter a room, according to the protesters. You never saw that happen during protests at the strike. It seems silly to think that students trying to get a degree would risk their future by entering a protest with violent intentions.
Discussions are good for people to have, and disagreements and debate are how most things get done. But preventing one side from speaking is quietly censoring the First Amendment, and creating an institution that is single-minded.
Students need to speak from different ideals to have a truly democratic society especially with all that is going on, not just at this university; a 14.7 percent tuition increase, budget issues, a war in Iraq, and growing instability in the world.
Sorry to confront our new president, who’s only been on the job for less then two months, but this problem needs to be addressed and she needs to bring back those recommendations from the Free Speech Task Force and officially come to an understanding of what our founding fathers fought so hard to defend, the Bill of Rights (specifically the First Amendment). Or are those students just going to get their voices muzzled and is that “tell me what you want” just an empty promise. In this task force, we must clearly define public institution and free speech.
Remember, “free speech” is your right whether it’s right or wrong.