Free speech only applies to liberal, left-wing college professors

Free speech is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. However, it only applies to liberal left-wing college professors.

Case in point, Midwestern State University (MSU) philosophy professor Dr. Nathan Jun (pronounced June). Last September, Jun posted a comment on a friend’s Facebook page that caused such a stir that the university had to defend itself.

Jun wrote, “I want the entire world to burn until the last cop is strangled with the intestines of the last capitalist, who is strangled in turn with the intestines of the last politician.” Jun claimed he paraphrased 18th Century philosopher Denis Diderot. The original quote was, “Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.”

BACKLASH

The backlash on social media and in his Wichita Falls, Texas, community was swift and sharp. MSU was forced to release a statement supporting the professor’s First Amendment right to express his opinions as a private individual.

“As a public university, we recognize and protect individuals’ free speech rights under the First Amendment so that ideas and information may be freely exchanged and examined without the threat of censorship or retaliation,” MSU said in its Sept. 25th statement. “Occasionally individuals will express opinions that may be offensive and even shocking, but are nonetheless entitled to First Amendment protection.” Nevertheless, MSU President Dr. Suzanne Shipley called Jun’s comments “abhorrent and disgusting.”

Jun complained that his remarks “prompted a group of local far-right extremists to organize a vicious targeted harassment campaign against me that endured for the better part of the summer.” What did he expect?

“I had no reason to think it would end up being shared publically,” he told the Times News Record. He knows he posted it on Facebook, right?

Jun doubled down. “I do long to live in a world in which we no longer have cops, which we no longer have capitalists and which we no longer have politicians.”

Interesting how Jun benefits from police protection after threats on his life. Fascinating how he receives a salary from a university where his students are the children of capitalists. Intriguing how some of MSU’s alumni are politicians. Hypocrite? For sure. Ungrateful? Absolutely. Infuriating? Duh!

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

Another quick example. Indiana University business economics professor Eric Rasmusen came under fire in 2019 for his writings against women. The 20-year university professor Tweeted, “Geniuses are overwhelmingly male because they combine outlier high IQ with moderately low Agreeableness and moderately low Conscientiousness.” His conclusion: Women are unsuitable for academia.

The female university provost called Rasmussen’s statements “stunningly ignorant.” Although his comments were soundly denounced, Rasmussen can’t be fired because public employees are protected by the First Amendment.

But he didn’t stop there. Rasmussen said that gay men are hypersexual, calling them “generally promiscuous.” He also used his Twitter account to call a woman a “slut.” The provost described his views as “vile” and “odious.”

The American Association of University Professors operates under the principle of academic freedom. This’s the idea that the public’s common good depends on freedom of inquiry and the “free search for truth.” Sounds more like a convenient cover-up.

ANYTHING YOU SAY CAN BE USED AGAINST YOU

Must be nice to be a college professor where you can say anything you want without fear of being fired. And then actually be defended by your employer. Unlike regular citizens.

Even movie and TV stars aren’t immune to the ax. The list of stars who have been fired from their jobs for “First Amendment” protected comments keeps growing.

To make matters worse, people have been fired for things they did or said or wore years ago. Think about all those school yearbook photos and home videos that have surfaced over the last couple of years.

So you can be fired for things that happened years ago. Pretty soon you might be fired for what you think.

So be careful what you do, or say, or write, or wear, or think. Apparently, free speech only applies to liberal, left-wing college professors.



Image from: aclu.org

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