Regents should take First Amendment training that university employees take
Every Iowa State University employee is required to take First Amendment training annually. We must all know what is permitted and how to handle an emergent situation.
The Board of Regents should take this training.
The murder of Charlie Kirk was horrifying. No one should die to gun violence. Celebrating that in any way is pretty offensive.
Regent Robert Cramer states that “there’s not an absolute right to employment … if that employee is disrupting the university.” In this instance, it is not the employee disrupting the university, but the people who feel offended by their comments. And the written policy of the Board of Regents is that “It is not the responsibility of the universities to shield individual members of the campus community from viewpoints they may find unwelcome, disagreeable, or offensive.”
If a member of the public is offended — darn. We had someone on campus last week who called us “Iowa Slut University.” Sometime in the next few months we’re going to have folks in the Free Speech Zone with posterboards of vivisected fetuses. Pretty offensive — but that’s free speech.
The resolution to offensive speech is not suppression of speech, but better speech.
Weston Abney, president, AFSCME Local 96
America is headed for a police state
Wake up folks!
Attacking other countries, such as Venezuelan ships and Qatar apartments is not all right! Putting thousands of federal troops in our cities and towns to round up people, is not all right! Glorifying Republican preacher Charlie Kirk, who used his free speech rights to turn young minds against abortion rights, immigrants, gays and Jews, is not all right!
We are headed for a police state paid well with your tax dollars, and a government very willing to squash free speech if it is not to its liking.
Don’t think what is happening is not your business. Keep informed of the news so you are aware when it is time to vote!
Jaye Stefani, Ames
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: America is headed for a police state l Letters
Reporting by The Tribune’s readers / Ames Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
