Either Emmanuel College made a big mistake by firing an adjunct professor for his alleged pro gun views, or there's more to this story we haven't been told. Not one story I've found indicates that he used some form of discriminatory speech. Or is pow now considered obscene, or offensive somehow?
BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- An adjunct professor was fired after leading a classroom discussion about the Virginia Tech shootings in which he pointed a marker at some students and said "pow."
The prof responds via YouTube in four six-minute parts. Part one below - 2 3 and 4.
The five-minute demonstration at Emmanuel College on Wednesday, two days after a student killed 32 people on the Virginia Tech campus, included a discussion of gun control, whether to respond to violence with violence, and the public's "celebration of victimhood," said the professor, Nicholas Winset.
During the demonstration, Winset pretended to shoot some students. Then one student pretended to shoot Winset to illustrate his point that the gunman might have been stopped had another student or faculty member been armed.
"A classroom is supposed to be a place for academic exploration," Winset, who taught financial accounting, told the Boston Herald.
He said administrators had asked the faculty to engage students on the issue. But on Friday, he got a letter saying he was fired and ordering him to stay off campus.
Winset, 37, argued that the Catholic liberal arts school was stifling free discussion by firing him, and he said the move would have a "chilling effect" on open debate. He posted an 18-minute video on the online site YouTube defending his action.
The college issued a statement saying: "Emmanuel College has clear standards of classroom and campus conduct, and does not in any way condone the use of discriminatory or obscene language."
Student Junny Lee, 19, told The Boston Globe that most students didn't appear to find Winset's demonstration offensive.
Looks like another job "well done" by the Lieral Thought Police.
If the Dems get the White House next year, look for them to start up the Carnivore database-sniffer for anyone who has a membership to the NRA... and watch for laws calling for all citizens to turn in their guns on pain of imprisonment.
Go go Nanny Statism and unbridled tyranny against personal freedoms and freedom of expression and freedom of thought.
Oog. Now there's a thought: Freedom of thought isn't constitutionally protected, is it?
Posted by: seekeronos | Monday, April 23, 2007 at 01:06 PM
My son had to do a paper for college. When looking for a subject, I mentioned doing it on the VT. No sooner did I get the thought out of my head, I retracted telling him it could get him arrested or discharged from school. Shame.
Check this out.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HarryRJacksonJr/2007/04/23/the_massacre_of_the_pulpit
Posted by: Cindi | Monday, April 23, 2007 at 01:52 PM
"During the demonstration, Winset pretended to shoot some students. Then one student pretended to shoot Winset to illustrate his point that the gunman might have been stopped had another student or faculty member been armed."
Oh yeah. With ground breaking research and intense analysis of the subject at hand on this level of rhetorical thinking "Bang! Bang! You're dead." "No! You are dead!" "I shot you first!" Yeah, I can totally see how this guy wasn't dumped years ago. Republican education inaction!
Posted by: Zifnab | Monday, April 23, 2007 at 02:04 PM
Look for them Dems to pass alot of thought crime laws under the radar. Many powerful libs have called for the mass arrests of anyone who is a conservative and to put them into re-education camps. We need to be prepaired for this. Now that the ground is thawed it is possible to begin hiding larger amounts of ammo. Remember to use water tight containers everyone.
Posted by: southdakotaboy | Monday, April 23, 2007 at 02:07 PM
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaa~! Black helicopters! Hillary Ninjas! Librul Space Aliens done buggered mah sheep an' tok mah gunz!
Posted by: Zifnab | Monday, April 23, 2007 at 02:33 PM
"Republican education inaction!"
Which is very preferable to what the dems have done to fuck it up for 40 odd years.
Posted by: imaginewhirledpeas | Monday, April 23, 2007 at 03:54 PM
had the fool merely made a tearful speech professing loyalty to the party; complete with a few choice bush-bashing expletives; and then signed up for remedial dogma at the re-education summer school, he'd have been ok.
good to see the liberals' relentless campaign to silence political discourse is right on schedule. gotta keep the agenda moving forward! you know: the one they deny having.
Posted by: bloodrage bob | Monday, April 23, 2007 at 04:34 PM
"Which is very preferable to what the dems have done to fuck it up for 40 odd years."
They let Darwin in our schools and banned the Bible as our history books! Then they funded education! With tax dollars! Oh, Democrats, how hath thou forsaken us?!
Posted by: Zifnab | Monday, April 23, 2007 at 04:36 PM
Ziffy: You're not old enough to speak about anything before about 1999. You've no idea how much better schools were forty, even thirty years ago. Hell, are you even past the first two years of college, the two years they spend teaching what you should have learned in high school? You're a kid with no concept of recent history other than what you've heard from your leftist professors. So go pretend to learn something.
Posted by: imaginewhirledpeas | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 08:58 AM
I AGREE WITH ZIFFY. EVERYONE WANTS TO PUT EVERYTHING ON THE DEMS. EVERYTHING WAS MASSED UP BEFORE THE DEMS. CAME IN AND YOU CAN BE SURE THAT THINGS WILL BE JUST AS MASSED UP WHEN THEY ARE GONE. WHY? BECAUSE THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END. READ YOUR BIBLE. EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD BEFORE, NOW AND LATER IS RIGHT THERE. I ADMITT THAT WE DON'T CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IT, BUT IT IS TRUE.
Posted by: PAT CLAY | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 11:49 AM
Turn the volume down, Patty.
What was 'massed up'? A big pile of doo-doo? Where'd they stack it?
Ziffy thanks you for your support.
Posted by: Phoenix | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 12:28 PM
TO ALL THOSE WHO CAN'T SEEM TO GET PAST "TWO-DIMENSIONALITY!" This goes much deeper than party lines. Higher education is supposed to be for expansion of the mind...not narrowing.
Posted by: Ken | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 12:32 PM
Oh and Ziffy........It was the republicans under Coolidge in the 1920s when Darwinism began being taught in schools in earnest. Obviously not a history major,huh?
Posted by: imaginewhirledpeas | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 12:34 PM
"Higher education is supposed to be for expansion of the mind...not narrowing."
Sadly there are very few places where this statement is accepted.
Posted by: imaginewhirledpeas | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 12:44 PM
Passive resents should end when the other guy fires first
I am suprised the students did throw desk and chairs at this guy, it hard to reload when people are throwing things at your head, I think we need to teach that resisting is ok
Posted by: ttom | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 12:45 PM
Aw Imagine..., "Higher education is supposed to be for expansion of the mind...not narrowing," wasn't meant to be a "place," more of a state of mind. When we believe this, it doesn't matter if it's accepted anywhere.
Posted by: Ken | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 12:59 PM
No Ken, I did not misunderstand your point. I'm in total agreement also. I meant that we seem not to have reached a point where enough people believe as we do. In that there seems to be very little ACTUAL free thought in higher education, more following the liberal "party line"
Posted by: imaginewhirledpeas | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 01:17 PM
...and once you watch his video response, the professor probably said "pow!" hoping to wake the class back up.
Posted by: Ken | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 01:21 PM
ttom,
They're actually teaching what you suggested in public schools. I am sure this will spread as a way to fight back.... as sad as it sounds. Fight chaos with chaos.
Posted by: Phoenix | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 01:57 PM
After reading the majority of posts on this topic, it is evident to me that the people posting do not have a college education. Should they have spent a little time in college they would have known how crucial debate, conjecture, and open communication sessions are in the college setting. It prepares its students to deal with life in an open minded capacity by questioning judgements other people have made in the past on important topics. In this specific case none of the students were offended therefore I would have to assume it was an appropriate discussion.
Posted by: I Maybury | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 02:02 PM
What is it with the idiots who can't find their caps lock key? Did some environmentalist convention just get out? Are the kindergartners out for recess?
Posted by: rightwingprof | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 02:11 PM
rightwingprof: I'm interested in your thoughts concerning the free and open discussion minded discussion in modern academia. Having done my college time after 1970, I find myself unable to agree with Maybury.
Posted by: imaginewhirledpeas | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 02:17 PM
Aside from the fact that I am in completa accord with the professor's actions and why they were done; the college has tumbled to a new low in speech and thought suppression. What next? Are the liberals going to burn my back copies of the American Hunter(official NRA monthly magazine)?
Posted by: Larry Gordon | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 02:27 PM
I am responding to the assumption that I may not know what takes place in present day college environments . First of all, currently I am a sophomore at a University, my major is Justice Studies, I can completely see where this professor was coming from based on some of the topics students in my major discuss in class...Secondly, I also work in a Dean's department on campus. Hence I am standing firm on my point that all open referendum is crucial to the learning environment in a college setting. Colleges turn out "movers and shakers" in order to become one of those people you need open discussion, debate, etc., these things sharpen skills crucial to todays world.
Posted by: I Maybury | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 02:31 PM
"Hence I am standing firm on my point that all open referendum is crucial to the learning environment in a college setting."
Had this been your point there would be no room to argue however you inferred that open discussion occurs routinely. Being in your second year (depending on where you go to school) you should know that such is a falsehood, that certain ideas and beliefs are OFTEN suppressed as not meeting the party line. Before someone gets their panties in a wad I do not indict "liberal" institutions solely by that statement, happens everywhere. I urge, no, I dare you to keep your eyes and ears open in class then come back with tales of "open debate"
Posted by: imaginewhirledpeas | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 02:45 PM
I would have loved to see what would have happened if the class was all African Americans and this white guy pointed his "fake " gun at them . If Don Imus thinks his free speech is not allowed, this teacher would have been drug from the class and lynched in a tree. Jackson , Sharpton, Farhakan etc would have had a field day with this. I wonder if this teacher supported the Don Imus firing?
Posted by: Herman | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 04:27 PM