CAPTAIN MAL WANTS YOU TO KILL
Sep. 29th, 2011 10:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
defrogITEM: University of Wisconsin-Stout’s chief of police, Lisa Walter, forces theatre professor James Miller to remove this poster from his office door.
When the professor protested on 1A grounds, Walter said the 1A doesn’t cover speech that can be “reasonably expected” to disrupt school activities or constitute a threat:
Miller responded by replacing the Mal poster with this poster.
Walter ordered it removed for the exact same reason.
See what they did there?
CLARIFICATION: One of the exceptions to the 1A is speech that intentionally incites people to imminent violence or other unlawful actions, or is likely to do so. However, the key words are “intentionally”, “imminent” and “likely” – which means things like deliberately getting a crowd worked up to go lynch someone right this minute, not posters protesting state violence or quoting fictional characters from TV shows.
But then we live in the post-Columbine/Virginia Tech age, where even writing fictional violence in school can get you arrested. Because you wouldn’t be writing about violence – or sticking it on yr office door – if you weren’t planning to kill someone.
And even if yr not, anyone could read it and then decide to go kill lots of people. And then it’d be all YR fault.
Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it?
Zero tolerance,
This is dF
When the professor protested on 1A grounds, Walter said the 1A doesn’t cover speech that can be “reasonably expected” to disrupt school activities or constitute a threat:
We were notified of the existence of the posting, reviewed it and believe that the wording on the poster can be interpreted as a threat by others and/or could cause those that view it to believe that you are willing/able to carry out actions similar to what is listed. This posting can cause others to fear for their safety, thus it was removed.
Miller responded by replacing the Mal poster with this poster.
See what they did there?
CLARIFICATION: One of the exceptions to the 1A is speech that intentionally incites people to imminent violence or other unlawful actions, or is likely to do so. However, the key words are “intentionally”, “imminent” and “likely” – which means things like deliberately getting a crowd worked up to go lynch someone right this minute, not posters protesting state violence or quoting fictional characters from TV shows.
But then we live in the post-Columbine/Virginia Tech age, where even writing fictional violence in school can get you arrested. Because you wouldn’t be writing about violence – or sticking it on yr office door – if you weren’t planning to kill someone.
And even if yr not, anyone could read it and then decide to go kill lots of people. And then it’d be all YR fault.
Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it?
Zero tolerance,
This is dF
no subject
on 2011-09-29 05:36 am (UTC)~M~