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Marvin O. Maul of Colorado Springs writes:

If one needed to be reminded of the effects of convoluted liberal logic, they need look no further than the threatening remarks attributed to CU student Max Karson reportedly supporting mass killer Seung-Hui Cho.
Also, in a manner so characteristic of liberals who feel they are shielded behind the wording of the First Amendment, Karson’s father, a University of Denver professor, questions whether his son’s free speech rights were violated!
With academicians such as this influencing our students, is it any wonder at the level of confusion that exists in the minds of our young people on what is the right thing to do? The pseudo-intellects cite the wording of the First Amendment, but they most certainly do not cite the original intent of that most precious passage.
Our founding fathers when they drafted our Constitution and its amendments never dreamed of the levels of depravity shown in today’s movies, TV programs, stand-up comedy routines, hip-hop music etc., etc. But no matter how stupid, obscene or malicious these utterances, the apologizers always prefer to ignore the mind-poisoning and demand the license of these “artists” to “freedom of expression". (Unless your name is Don Imus).
Golly, do you think that these freedoms, legitimized in their minds by our Constitution, could be the biggest reason why our country is now regarded as the cess-pool of culture and why we are now despised around the world?

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

I think the murderous leadership we have and the prevalence of fundamentalist morons in trying to run our country explain why we are despised around the world. Swim in your own ignorant cesspool, Maul.

So is Marvin now the self-appointed decider of what is protected speech and what is just trash? And you might think America is the cess-pool of culture, but have you ever been to Europe? They have just as much crashness as the US, probably even more so. it is just that the US can market their music, movies, and TV shows much better. I would rather live in a country where artists can have the freedom of expression, even if it is offensive and stupid, then live in a country where some Imam decides what can be shown and what not. Try changing the station if you do not like what is being said.

Yes.... it's liberals that are the cause of all that is ill and unholy. I can't remember, was Mark Foley a liberal? And all those Catholic priest pedophiles must be liberals too. And we DEFINITELY know Ted Haggard had to be liberal! And Tom Delay, and Duke Cunningham, and.......

"our country is now regarded as the cess-pool of culture and... we are now despised around the world" because of "stupid, obscene or malicious ... utterances."

I quite agree - the weekly vile utterances of the Bush administration has made us despised around the world.

Mark,

"Golly, do you think that these freedoms, legitimized in their minds by our Constitution, could be the biggest reason why our country is now regarded as the cess-pool of culture and why we are now despised around the world?"

Mark is taking the "they hate us for our freedom" talking-point to a whole new level!

He seems to be saying: "They hate us for our freedoms, SO LET'S GET RID OF THEM."

Didn't quite think things through eh Mark? Turn off the 700 club and get back to the scrawling board.

I should've stated that more clearly:

"He seems to be saying: "They hate us for our freedoms, SO LET'S GET RID OF OUR FREEDOMS."

Goldurnit, Charles B.,

Now you done gone and give them thar CONservatives a free rallyin' cry. Or mebbe exposed tha one they was awantin' us not ta catch onta till 'twas too late, an' they done set up one of them thar oligarchy kind o' guvmints thet thar Nixon-Bush gang wants in the country.

But airyways, thet's fer shore what they air ameanin', howsomever they're asayin' it. Freedom scares em nigh outen thar wits - er sich wits as thet thar kind has anyway.

OG,

Well said?

Well said indeed. Many people have opinions and all should be allowed to speak. If some are foolish enough to follow anyone without due thought blame them not the speech. I am a very conservative Catholic and will control what my family is exposed to and encourage questions and discussion of all. THAT is how we remain free. If a student says something stupid they can live with the verbal consequences of ridicule and opposition. They should not be punished by the administration. Only when the words represent a direct or clear threat should the administration step in.

As for the original letter writer and his assertion about "the level of confusion that exists in the minds of our young people on what is the right thing to do?"

I believe that when one side of the political spectrum is overly represented in our schools of Liberal Arts on campus, the students are the poorer for it.

The liberal agenda that so prizes "diversity" and multiculturalism does not allow for, nor tolerate diversity of opinion among faculty. Granted, not many professors in the Liberal Arts hold conservative viewpoints and so a concerted effort would need to be made to add some ideological balance on our campuses.

Isn't the point of a Liberal Arts education to explore different points of view? How can this be accomplished with only one side being represented?

The current level of rage by increasingly activist faculties against the current administration has infected already restive youth's minds who, if I remember correctly from my earlier days, are already primed to rebel against authority at that age.

The moral relativism being taught does further damage - in that I agree with the writer. No wonder kids are confused and it didn't start in college. Our public high schools are engaging in this garbage, as well.

It is no wonder that students exit our Universities as very committed liberals with little ability to engage in critical thinking. They didn't learn it in college. They learned to engage in groupthink. Not a great education, if you ask me.

Censorship of any kind of our cultural pollutants is a bad idea. Free speech should reign and not just for ideas we agree with! Got it, lefties?

Hollywood and coastal liberal elites are the greatest influence on our culture becoming a cesspool, IMO.

At CU, the young man's verbalizing of his feelings about Cho may not have been well received by a lot of people but that is the price for free speech. At least he didn't get his head chopped off or tongue cut out for voicing it.

07:28 PM

Excuse me if I don't quite get it. Why are you citing "lefties" as the ones who want - or would impose - censorship on anything?

If memory serves, it was a Republican Attorney General who spent several thousand dollars of the taxpayer's money to move the podium, and drape the area, so he wouldn't be offended by - or allow others to be offended by - some nude statuary. And it is Bush who, just a while back, declared a "war on pornography" - whatever the word is supposed to mean.

And it was Bushites who kept people out of a public meeting, because they had T-shirts on under clothing that had some anti slogans, as well as a bumper sticker on a car in the parking lot.

Moral relativism - or situation ethics, or both - are attacked, reviled, and worked against, to keep them - or get them - out of education by the "conservative" right. And it is that same "conservative" right that constantly seeks to ban library books - such as the Harry Potter series, and anything dealing with alternative lifestyles - from ever being read by young people.

But, for you, this is NOT a "one sided view"? That's something the "liberals" are supposed to be imposing.?

Perhaps, after being exposed to the actual way in which the "conservative" right seeks to cut off any and all ideas other than those that meet with their approval, the youth of today have decided that a real "exploration of different points of view" is something they can find only with liberals to begin with.

Old Grouch, it is apparent that you have not been on a college campus lately. The "hate speech" codes, the censorship and shouting down of speakers' opinions, the attacking of guest speakers (conservatives) all come from the left. The attempt to stifle any viewpoint that does NOT agree with the prevailing view on campus almost always come from the left. Students with conservative views, being heavily outnumbered and vilified for their beliefs, feel threatened.

My post was about what is going on in colleges, just as the original letter writer.

Maybe you should go back to grade school to learn to read better.

Old Grouch said:

"Perhaps, after being exposed to the actual way in which the "conservative" right seeks to cut off any and all ideas other than those that meet with their approval, the youth of today have decided that a real "exploration of different points of view" is something they can find only with liberals to begin with."

This says it all - you agree because you are a liberal. Liberals can not properly "explore" conservative ideas because they are not honest enough to represent them accurately.

Any intellectually honest person will admit that both sides of the political divide will distort their opponents' views. But this discussion was about what is happening on college campuses where there is no even handed approach. It is heavily tilted to one side. Apparently that is fine with you.

11:02 AM

That's an excellent "conservative" example; or what might be more properly called "neocon" today. "Liberals can not properly "explore" conservative ideas because they are not honest enough to represent them accurately."

And that is supported by . . . ?

If the only argument you have is" You can't understand me because you're not honest enough to understand me", you have no real ideas at all. That's nothing more than a gratutious insult. Which, unfortunately, is, altogether too often the "conservative" position, nothing but insults.

Try offering an idea, before you fault colleges for being too heavily tilted to one side.

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