Liberty University kicks College Democrats off campus

[makattak]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/23/liberty-university-wont-recognize-college-democrat/

Liberty University says the school's College Democrats chapter can no longer be recognized as an official club because its principles are anathema to the Lynchburg, Va., school's Christian doctrine and because club officials misled the school.

"It's a symbolic thing," said Liberty President Jerry Falwell Jr. "These are great Christian kids. I sit with them at ball games, they mean well, but they're not doing what they said they were going to do when they formed."

He said club organizers promised to stand for pro-life, pro-family causes and to work to move the Democratic Party in that direction, but have instead supported pro-choice candidates who work at cross-purposes to the school's Christian beliefs.

In the week since the decision, the club has become a cause celebre, being mentioned in Virginia's Democratic primary for governor and becoming the subject of a fundraising campaign. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who is also chairman of the Democratic National Committee, urged the school to reconsider.

"Americans understand the wisdom of being evenhanded when it comes to matters of expression of political opinion," Mr. Kaine said in a statement issued by the DNC. "For Liberty University to deprive the College Democrats of the same opportunity as College Republicans to associate and be a recognized as a campus organization violates that fundamental principle of fairness and teaches the students the wrong message about civil life as they move from college into the broader world."

More at the link.

Someone brought this up on THR in the discussion about a Pittsburgh area community college that refused to allow a student to organize a Students for Concealed Carry on Campus chapter at their university.

I have to say, I completely support Liberty in this move: the College Democrats did not follow the rules laid out by the private university. Liberty did not deny them speech rights or the right to assemble. They did say: "We will not support you in your attack on our ideals."

[Brad Johnson]

Liberty did not deny them speech rights or the right to assemble. They did say: "We will not support you in your attack on our ideals."

Even more important, that they didn't keep their word.  Whether they intended to and didn't, or didn't intend to but said they did, it stands that they said one thing and did another.  (Which, given their affiliated party's actions as of late, should come as no suprise)

Brad

[chefman]

 When are the liberals going to understand? Christianity is not about fairness, it's about choosing sides. I hope Liberty University sticks to their guns.

[taurusowner]

The difference between banning the Concealed Carry group and this is that the CCW group did not get permission to organize under a mutually agreed set of rules, and then break those rules.  The Democrat group did.

[Nitrogen]

I have to say, I completely support Liberty in this move: the College Democrats did not follow the rules laid out by the private university. Liberty did not deny them speech rights or the right to assemble. They did say: "We will not support you in your attack on our ideals."

An ideology that cannot stand up to attack is not much of an ideology at all, is it?

[makattak]

An ideology that cannot stand up to attack is not much of an ideology at all, is it?

Nope, it's not.

What does that have to do with this situation?

[Ron]

An ideology that cannot stand up to attack is not much of an ideology at all, is it?

Why don't you see if you can start a gun control and pro AWB sub forum here on APS?

It is not incumbent upon Liberty U to provide a forum for attacks on what they stand for any more than Oleg and crew should provide a forum for those dedicated to diminishing our 2nd amendment protections and right to self defense.

[Modifiedbrowning]

An ideology that cannot stand up to attack is not much of an ideology at all, is it?

A person the agrees to a set of rules and then ignores or breaks them is not much of a person at all, are they?

[jackdanson]

Someone brought this up on THR in the discussion about a Pittsburgh area community college that refused to allow a student to organize a Students for Concealed Carry on Campus chapter at their university.

If it was a community college then it recieves state funding and students then they should allow anyone to form any student organization. (within legal limits)

Liberty is a private university, they can make whatever rules or boot whoever they want as far as I'm concerned.

[Nitrogen]

Why don't you see if you can start a gun control and pro AWB sub forum here on APS?

It is not incumbent upon Liberty U to provide a forum for attacks on what they stand for any more than Oleg and crew should provide a forum for those dedicated to diminishing our 2nd amendment protections and right to self defense.

If I thought the ideals held water, I might.  I don't agree that discussion on forums like this should be banned; it just turns things into an echo chamber, but this isn't my board.

I do agree that they have the right to do whatever they want, but I also have the right to think it's scummy.
I will admit that I have pretty big problems with Fallwell, so I am biased in the matter anyway.

[gunsmith]

If I thought the ideals held water, I might.  I don't agree that discussion on forums like this should be banned; it just turns things into an echo chamber, but this isn't my board.

I do agree that they have the right to do whatever they want, but I also have the right to think it's scummy.
I will admit that I have pretty big problems with Fallwell, so I am biased in the matter anyway.

That's fine, just keep hanging around...you will be assimilated!

[Perd Hapley]

I'm sure I'm not in perfect alignment with the folks at Liberty, but I think I'm close enough to make the following comment.  If the group was supporting pro-abortion candidates, then they were opposing the basic human rights of a group that Liberty University seeks to protect.  From that point of view, it is somewhat analogous to an historically black college kicking out a group, when it learns that they seek to bar blacks from voting. 

[Kwelz]

How many of you are going to start screaming as soon as a private Liberal campus kicks the College Republicans off campus.  Or any other group we support. 

[KD5NRH]

The difference between banning the Concealed Carry group and this is that the CCW group did not get permission to organize under a mutually agreed set of rules, and then break those rules.  The Democrat group did.

Also, this group was not banned, just no longer recognised by the university.  The CC group was ordered to destroy all literature and not meet on campus.

Liberty removed the official designation May 15. The club is not being disbanded, but may not use the school's name or receive school funding. Students can still meet as a group at the school and use some school facilities.

Christine Brashier, a freshman at the Community College of Allegheny County near Pittsburgh, said a dean recently told her she had to stop distributing fliers for the group Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, which has chapters at many colleges, and to destroy the pamphlets she had designed.

There's a big difference between refusing to endorse a viewpoint and actively working to silence it.

[roo_ster]

How many of you are going to start screaming as soon as a private Liberal campus kicks the College Republicans off campus.  Or any other group we support. 

We can squawk all we want, but the reality is that private universities can do as they please.

I am in accord with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (thefire.org).  Public universities must be viewpoint neutral.  Private universities are held to the standard they have as policy.  If policy makes noise about being a free-speech locale or being welcome to a diversity of opinion, they are held to that standard and must treat all equally.  If the school is private and makes explicit it has a standard or viewpoint that is in some way exclusive of others, then it is held to that less-inclusive standard.

[Perd Hapley]

How many of you are going to start screaming as soon as a private Liberal campus kicks the College Republicans off campus.  Or any other group we support. 

What jfruser and others have said.  Don't forget that the group apparently broke some rules, regardless of their viewpoint.