At Grambling State University, LA the editors of The Gramblinite have decided to cease publication out of fear that their advisers may be terminated. GSU’s provost, stating in a memo that the paper was being shut down until it improved its quality, based the decision on a recent Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case Hosty v. Carter. The Student Press Law Center however argues that the case does not apply to Louisiana as part of the Fifth Circuit and there is ample precedent that public institutions cannot censor student newspapers as they are protected by the First Amendment. See also the recent post in Fire’s The Torch on the issue.
Tag Archive for 'free speech'
A Greek professor was barred from entering the States. John Milios was set to attend and speak at a conference about issues of Class at SUNY Stony Brook. Held at the airport, he was questioned extensively by the FBI about his political beliefs before being sent back to Athens with the explanation that there were discrepancies with his Visa. Strangely enough, he had visited the US with before without any problems.
It seems to me that we ought to have a debate over how interests of Free Speech and scholarly exchange can be retained in the face of protecting national security. I am inclined to say that our foremost defense against radical ideas ought to be speech and academic discourse that expose, scrutinize and refute.
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