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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 21105
[Civil]
Date Posted:
9/2/2009
2:57:12 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 3,717
RSS: 18,863
Comments: 23
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Students Get An Unexpected Lesson On The Right To Freedom Of Speech
Author: Mark DeWitt Source: Shawnee State University Chronicle (OH)
Title: PREACHER RAINS HELLFIRE ON SHAWNEE STATE CAMPUS
Many students were baffled on their walk to class Wed. and Thu. when a man wearing a sandwich board that read "Repent or Perish" was spreading his religious beliefs through what many considered an unorthodox method.
The man, who said his name was Tracy Mays, shouted lines such as "I am here to judge" and "I am without sin." He had more than a few students up in arms. Mays also carried a video camera while he preached.
"I video tape for my protection from you," Mays said.
He also stated that he uses the camera to compile the videos for Youtube movies.
Most students who stood around to hear what the man had to say were very passionate about how they felt about his views on Christianity, which seemed to starkly contrast theirs.
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Community Thoughts: There are 23 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Even The Soapbox Has Limits... | Sep 4th. at 9:35:02 pm EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
he's just another confrontationalist looking for a fight, and his videotaping is indeed another quirk so that he can sue the first person who physically argues with him -as well as broadcast his peculiar rants over whatever medium he chooses.
For someone like this, the less of an audience he has, the better. For someone spoiling for a fight, peaceful assembly is anathema. Walking away from his rants sends a far more potent message than an argument. He has the soapbox, but he won't be on it forever. If he gets rowdy, his own videotapes won't help him much if he throws the first punch, and security can still be called to stop the fight, but it takes two to argue, so why be the second fool?
True, everyone has a right to voice their opinions on the soapbox, but to listen or not to listen is still the right of the passersby. As long as he stays on his soapbox, he's fine, but if he follows people, then he's harassing, and going beyond what he is allowed.
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| Oliver Wendell Holmes | Sep 4th. at 8:43:29 pm EDT
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Freemane (Morgantown, West Virginia) - Email Me
"The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins." In many situations our words have as strong an impact as our actions. Free Speech can easily be misinterpreted to allow harassment. We've all heard the advise, "ignore them and they'll stop." We would never tell anyone to ignore physical abuse but are so afraid of interfering with free speech we allow verbal abuse to go unchecked.
So ends my random little ramble.
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| Freedom... | Sep 4th. at 2:47:51 pm EDT
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Hoolet (Columbia, South Carolina) - Email Me
Reading NightLad's comment sure makes me proud to be American! We don't allow our government to restrict free speech. This man on the campus hurt no one, he only pissed off some people. Being angered by an unpopular opinion is a small price to pay for liberty. And if you think it is a good thing to allow the government to restrict freedom, what will you think in the event that your government decides that Pagans are "abusing the privilege"?
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| In My Neck Of The Woods... | Sep 4th. at 12:28:02 pm EDT
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NightLad (Toronto, Ontario) - Email Me
Freedom of Speech is a -privilege,- not a "right."
You can say whatever you want, wherever you want, as long as you do not abuse the privilege -- because all people have a right to feel safe, unthreatened, and secure in this country. Nobody should have to pass a billboard calling them a ‘sinner’ based on the views of some other guy’s religion, or pass a burning cross, or read an ad in a newspaper advocating their genocide.
When an individual (or group) suppress the fundamental freedoms of others through hate speech and other forms of antagonistic, divisive, and bigoted segregation tactics (no matter their supposed reasoning) their privilege to share their views can, and should, be curtailed.
Hate Speech* is a form of terrorism; it promotes violence against an entire community of people, for no other reason than those people being who or what they are. In any society that values tolerance and justice, it cannot be tolerated.
For an excellent article about what constitutes Hate Speech and Hate Crimes, see “Hate Crime: A Canadian Perspective” by Julian Fantino, former Police Chief of Toronto, Canada
[Web LINK]
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| His Video's... | Sep 4th. at 8:04:52 am EDT
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Zoritsa (Griffith, Indiana) - Email Me
I watched some of his video's,and I have to say...his "fun with gospel tracts" is just appalling,well,most of his videos are.TracyB777 is his Youtube page and as anyone can access it,I don't think posting his youtube name violates anything.
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| Ah, Yes, Freedom Of Speech, Let It Be, Yes | Sep 3rd. at 9:21:42 pm EDT
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karrie9 (Kenosha, Wisconsin) - Email Me - Web
Abby Teske said. "I hope that this preaching does not turn people away from the real Jesus..."
Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. I stopped being a Christian not because of the annoying tactics of some Christians but because I read the bible.
So yay for freedom of speech.
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| This Has A Familiar Ring To It... | Sep 3rd. at 7:33:40 pm EDT
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Aritimi Morgana (RotterdamJct/Schdy/Scotia, New York) - Email Me
like what happened to me and some college friends of mine. Because we were pagan, the campus Bible fellowship decided it was their duty to convert the lot of us. My friends and I would often spend time between classes socializing in the student center, never too loud or disruptive. We had a lot of interesting philosophical dicussions there. The Bible fellowship set up shop across from us and began passing out its standard propaganda; this went on for about a week or so, then grew more intense. We started to get followed to class by these people, their literature left with my professors to give to me. I was repeatedly followed across campus with threats of eternal damnation shouted at me. They stalked me in the library when I was studying and stood around me praying for my soul. The stuff began showing up at my house and I even got phone calls. It was happening to my friends too and it got so bad that when the Bible Fellowship tried some excuse to get us tossed off campus, the Dean of Students got involved. She told them if she caught them harassing us or even in our vicinity again, she would revoke their right to be on campus. They stopped. It's something I haven't forgotten. I hope no one has to put up with this kind of crap.
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| Brilliance | Sep 3rd. at 4:35:46 pm EDT
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R. Cicero (Seattle, Washington) - Email Me
I would like to pay my respects to (in part or whole) two brilliant people:
Draken! We have crossed many swords, but I must simply congratulate you for providing the very funniest, most truthful depiction of 'the faith' I have ever encountered. I say that with complete honesty, in perfect love and perfect trust. Thank you.
Secondly:
All music lovers and occultists should make themselves immediately aware of Keith Urban's latest release, 'Defying Gravity.'
You may not like country music, or you may not have otherwise taken him seriously before. Perhaps you can't trust someone that leads a troubled, silly, tabloid life.
Have you ever heard this statement: 'Trust the art, not the artist'?
Nothing could be more true. This is completely real:
The first 5 songs on his new album become pure magic, that if not carefully controlled can consume you. It BECOMES magical power.
I repeat: on consecutive listens, the first 5 become real magical power that can be sustained, conjured at will, and sent forth.
Disregard the videos on CMT, etc. You must sit and listen with your brain alone (eyes closed) , with repetition, and it will become yours to use freely. It will alter your thought processes and can change the chemistry of your body.
Again, the first 5 songs in consecutive order, several times a day. Just try it. This is the best advice I have ever freely given anyone, and so I dare you. You can thank me later.
Things WILL change around you, and within you.
Aleister Crowley has nothing on Keith Urban, whether this troubled artist realizes it or not.
Best in show? 'If ever I could love'
The best magical / spiritual recordings I know of, to date:
Marvin Gaye: 'What's Going On'
Keith Urban: 'Defying Gravity'
It's not about their faiths. Disregard that. I'm talking about residual power any competent occultist can just go and buy at WalMart, for heaven's sake. Then do with it what you will.
I am actually a changed person now. The game has always been played. We are reasonably prepared. Would you like to play?
All these statements I say to you with complete honesty, in perfect love and perfect trust.
Can anyone recommend others? Thank you.
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| Saw This At UC | Sep 3rd. at 12:16:54 pm EDT
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SnowRaven (Medina, Ohio) - Email Me
The College Campus must be a normal target for such people because we had our share at the U of Cincinnati. He was a homeless man called the Preacher... but he had to operate outside campus grounds.
Unless demonstrators are college students, they have no right to be on campus. Students pay large amounts of money to utilize these spaces - both for academics and socialization. No matter whether it is a private or public institution, its environs are for those that work there and attend classes.
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| Debate... | Sep 3rd. at 11:48:02 am EDT
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Cwydd ap Gwydion (Hudson, New York) - Email Me
Draken,
I am unsure if that was aimed in my direction, but this is not the forum for debate, according to Wren's rules. Please feel free to email me if you would like to discuss the matter further.
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| ... | Sep 3rd. at 11:34:31 am EDT
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
...and the Bandakar Nation - [Web LINK] - chimes in.
Sorry, but anyone who chooses to step on a platform and rant and rave and not allow anyone to get a word in edgewise fits one of my definitions of "crazy" (of course, believing in some jewish zombie who is his own father sent to earth to an hero because some rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat an apple also qualifies as "crazy" in my book) .
We are human. We judge all the time. Remove the tall periscope from your eye, get off your limbless horse (the periscope gives the illusion that you're on a high horse) , and see things for what they are.
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| Fond Memories | Sep 3rd. at 10:42:37 am EDT
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Fred Lawrence (Kansas City, Kansas) - Email Me
When I was a student at the University of Kansas back in the mid-1970s, there was a team of three "Christian" "evangelists" who made a similar spectacle of themselves. Very few people took those nuts seriously back then, which is exactly what seems to have happened in this article. Not even the local Christians took them seriously.
I strongly favor the Free Marketplace of Ideas, which is exactly what a university should be. Those nuts were far more amusing than threatening. I think it is good for university students, along with everybody else, to be exposed to some religious nuts.
Of note, those nuts at KU were against the Methodists and Disco. I don't know about the Methodists, but I always thought that Disco was very boring music, which means bad music, so the three weren't completely wrong on everything.
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| Unorthodox Methods... | Sep 3rd. at 7:50:04 am EDT
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Cwydd ap Gwydion (Hudson, New York) - Email Me
... are often seen as "crazy", particularly when they don't fit our own methods. Is this man right? Wrong? Who are any of us to judge? Is he crazy? Or is he more in touch than any other? I don't know any more than anyone else.
The short is, that none are fit to judge validity.
The man was within his rights.
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| Sounds Familiar | Sep 3rd. at 7:46:20 am EDT
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Jeanna T. (Nashville, Tennessee) - Email Me
At the college I went to a guy would often stand outside to student union and do something smiler . New students were warned that he was just trying to provoke someone to attack him so that her could sue them for assault. That might be what this guy's trying to do.
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| Nonsense | Sep 3rd. at 3:54:22 am EDT
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Ander s. Drake (hays, Kansas) - Email Me
That's really Ironic coming from the very people who want to oppress every one else rights to choose what to believe and how to think.
Does he have a permit, every one else has to get a permit to protest,and isn't he trespassing on college grounds. Even freedom of speech has limits. His rights end where other people's rights begin.
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