No one has yet put it this way, so I guess I’ll be the first one: Professor Kevin MacDonald has the right to be racist.
He has the right to burn the flag in his left hand and burn the Constitution in his right, all while singing the wrong words to “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” On top of that, he can wear a neo-Nazi T-shirt and promote a racist Web site at the same time. He can even write books promoting his views — after he has put out his fires.
On top of that, he can even obtain tenure as a professor at Cal State Long Beach.
Such freedom of speech is protected in this country, whether we like it or not. We usually do — except when it disagrees with us.
So isn’t this country great? We can tout the benefits of our constitutions while symbolically burning their pages!
This simple fact separates the educated from the uneducated. In my opinion, the uneducated were quoted in Daily 49er and, unfortunately, they were some student – elected representatives. They proclaimed a desire to oust MacDonald, who is tenured, for his out-of-classroom political beliefs. Someone needs to call them out on their bullshit and aggressive lack of Constitutional understanding in this matter.
The only things CSULB can do against MacDonald are the things it already has done, like create lofty declarations disassociating itself from one of its own. At this stage that’s about it — and that’s fine. As a whole, CSULB has taken the correct and strongest stance it can: Protecting his First Amendment rights. But it’s very, very bad that those ASI folks don’t seem to be doing the same.
I don’t support MacDonald’s views, but I’ll defend his right to say whatever he wants within his First Amendment protections before I’ll ever support someone who doesn’t understand his own rights while stomping on another’s.
Voltaire was right when he said something along the lines of: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
—Bradley Zint
San Diego, Calif.