It's written in our constitution that everyone has the right to free speech. However, does that include agitating and aggravating people, and presenting as if your speaking God's word, when it's actually a personal interpretation?
As you can probably tell, I'm referencing to the man who set up near the SU yesterday. I heard that he's come here every year for the past 8 years. I also heard that a few years ago there was an outbreak of violence that lead to him receiving compensation from the school, as well as guaranteed protection every year he comes.
While I can't confirm this, I think it's outrageous of the group, not the school. The school is only protecting itself from extremely costly lawsuits. All I can do is hope that the school is as outraged as I am.
The group is rumored to be a scam, meant to provoke the students with these extreme thoughts and accusations to receive compensation. I never thought I'd say this, but I feel it would be better if they actually believed in their message, rather than having such a malicious mind to go to such drastic measures just for a payday.
However, I do
recognize that there are some people in the world that are that desperate, and
I have to hope that they find another means of income, one more moral and just. Until that time, the best we can do is withstand these people, ignoring them. While it is challenging to not be provoked by such messages, it is the only way that he'll go somewhere else. The only reason he continues to come here every years is because we provide such a reaction. If he had no audience, then he'd have no one to hear his message, and would go someplace that does listen.
While it is so true that he would not return without such an audience, I believe that he will always have some eyes and ears upon him when he comes. It is for the attention and as soon as one or two confused people stop, it soon becomes a crowd. People are then simply stopping just to see what is going. All these people on this campus, students and teachers, are mostly good people who cannot bear to hear this hate spewed at people in sheer bigotry. I think the real problem is how people are handling it just because of the subject. People are getting infuriated with this man, yet no one said anything about the group closer to the beginning of the school year spewing hatred about abortion. Many more people seemed to agree with the abortion group, so no one said anything when they seemed to scream and berate people just as much. Just a thought.
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