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Still No Answer from Marquette
As the year draws to a close and we reflect on all of 果冻传媒app官方鈥檚 activities in 2006, the case of Stuart Ditsler at Marquette University stands out not only for its absurdity but also because the case has yet to be resolved.
Torch readers will recall Ditsler鈥檚 case from earlier this fall, when administrators removed a Dave Barry quote from his office door in Marquette鈥檚 philosophy department because they deemed it 鈥減atently offensive.鈥 The quote鈥攚hich could not be considered 鈥減atently offensive鈥 (a term usually reserved for hardcore pornography) by any stretch of the imagination鈥攔ead: 鈥淎s Americans we must always remember that we all have a common enemy, an enemy that is dangerous, powerful, and relentless. I refer, of course, to the federal government.鈥
After receiving considerable media coverage in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Associated Press, as well as a mention on Reason magazine鈥檚 blog by Editor-in-Chief Nick Gillespie, Marquette administrators claimed the situation had been taken care of within the philosophy department, where Ditsler is a Ph.D. student. Ditsler, however, reported to FIREthat he was not notified of any solution to the problem and was left wondering whether he was allowed to post materials on his office door.
Bear in mind, Marquette鈥檚 Student Handbook professes to protect the 鈥渞ight of the members of the university community freely to communicate 鈥 the positions that they conscientiously espouse on vital issues of the day.鈥 Also remember that the philosophy department鈥檚 maintains that it is dedicated to 鈥渢he pursuit of truth鈥 and that 鈥減hilosophy provides a principal forum for the serious discussion of the basic questions of life.鈥
Sounds promising, but as we all know, actions speak louder than words. Marquette鈥檚 policies exude a commitment to academic freedom and freedom of speech, but when a mild quote like the one here is removed for its 鈥渙ffensiveness,鈥 we see Marquette鈥檚 policies for what they really are鈥斺減ie crust promises鈥 that are easily made, easily broken.
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