Liberty University bans campus Democratic club
From the Lynchberg (Va.) News and Advance:
Liberty University has revoked its recognition of the campus Democratic Party club, saying “we are unable to lend support to a club whose parent organization stands against the moral principles held by” the university.
“It kind of happened out of nowhere,” said Brian Diaz, president of LU’s student Democratic Party organization, which LU formally recognized in October.
Diaz said he was notified of the school’s decision May 15 in an e-mail from Mark Hine, vice president of student affairs.
According to the e-mail, the club must stop using the university’s name, holding meetings on campus, or advertising events. Violators could incur one or more reprimands under the school’s Liberty Way conduct code, and anyone who accumulates 30 reprimands is subject to expulsion.
Hine said late Thursday that the university could not sanction an official club that supported Democratic candidates.
“We are in no way attempting to stifle free speech.”
Legally, Liberty University is well within its rights. Politically and otherwise, it’s a sad decision. It’s less about freedom of speech than freedom of conscience, and it blatantly reinforces the link between the Republican Party and the conservative evangelicals. The old-time Baptists who fought so hard against mixing church and state business are probably rolling over in their graves.
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299 comments Add your comment
I Rule You :-) / You Whine :-(
May 24th, 2009
8:26 am
It’s less about freedom of speech than freedom of conscience, and it blatantly reinforces the link between the Republican Party and the conservative evangelicals.
Are you kidding? This kind of thing, thousands of times worse, has been going on against campus Conservatives for decades.
jeez, what a hack.
I Rule You :-) / You Whine :-(
May 24th, 2009
8:27 am
ROTC?
Redneck Convert
May 24th, 2009
8:33 am
Well, I’m with Liberty University. Your right to Free Speech ends when you start saying things I don’t like. If the TV stations would of had the guts to ban the librul Democrats we would have President McCain right now. Anyhow, if everybody started banning librul Democrats this country would be a whole lot better off.
And what’s wrong with a colledge linking up to good Christians? This is God’s country and we do what He wants. We are always in the right.
I wish Bookman would take Liberty University as a example. Just put the clamps on anything sent in by this AmVet and Deegee and other Blasphemers. Throw this thing wide open to Sister Dusty, Ray, @@, and the I Report/You Whine guy. And me of course.
Anyhow, I’m going down to the Church of Holiness this a.m. and pray for all you godless heathens. Including Bookman. I hope you all see the Light and start saying Conservative things. Which you are always free to do. Have a good Sabbath everybody.
Brad
May 24th, 2009
8:36 am
If the old-time Baptists fought against mixing church and state, don’t you think they would prefer there be no political clubs on campus? Democrat or Republican?
Taxpayer
May 24th, 2009
8:38 am
Liberty University! Now, there’s a laugh! How does that old saying go, “Give me Liberty or give me Free Speech.” No. That’s not it…is it.
clyde
May 24th, 2009
8:40 am
“We are in no way attempting to stifle free speech”.Somehow that statement doesn’t ring true.
lwwmm7
May 24th, 2009
8:48 am
Now that the shoe is on the other foot, free speech denied is suddenly a priority, huh? Conservative speakers have been shouted down and denied a chance at colleges for many years now. Let’s all allow others to have and express an opinion without all this foolishness.
lwwmm7
May 24th, 2009
8:52 am
Have a great Memorial Weekend everybody. Thank you troops for the freedoms we enjoy to disagree with each other with only verbal beheadings resulting.
Ray
May 24th, 2009
8:53 am
Seems like students that enroll at Liberty University probably do so voluntarily and are not subject to any arm twisting to become a student. Wonder how many conservative students who have a liberal professor in most of the academic institutions in this country suffer grade wise because of their conservative views. Are they free to disagree with their professors without any chance of retribution? Are their professors open minded, fair and understanding to a distaff point of view? I doubt it.
I Rule You :-) / You Whine :-(
May 24th, 2009
8:55 am
Under intense fire from the right, former secretary of state Colin L. Powell is preparing to answer his Republican critics this weekend in a television appearance that is likely to add fuel to his long-standing feud with top conservatives in his party.
Earlier this month, he said the party is in “deep trouble” because “Americans are looking for more government in their life, not less.”
That changed late in the 2008 presidential campaign, when he endorsed Barack Obama.-Urinal/ Republican Self Help Service
Maybe your boy is confused, no?
Cheney dryly commented: “I didn’t know he was still a Republican.”
Score one for the Dick.
Kamchak
May 24th, 2009
8:57 am
“Seems like students that enroll at Liberty University do so voluntarily and are not subject to any arm twisting to become a student.”
That can be said for any student enrolling in any college or university.
I Rule You :-) / You Whine :-(
May 24th, 2009
9:10 am
(Athens, Greece) Dozens of cars have been smashed, 14 people injured and 46 arrested in riots by Muslim migrants over the alleged defacing of a Koran by a policeman.
Obozo’s homeys.
eewwwww
Ray
May 24th, 2009
9:12 am
The liberal posters on this blog are poster children for intolerance of other’s views, especially Bookman. All of these liberal rants about free speech, fairness and true debate are masked by snide comments, sarcasm and ridicule to those who disagree with them. How dare some university, especially one of those God types, have an opinion about what they stand for? You would think that Perez Hilton could do something about that. Where are you, Perez, when we need you the most?
jt
May 24th, 2009
9:13 am
“and it blatantly reinforces the link between the Republican Party and the conservative evangelicals.”
What is wrong with this.?
There is a link between the Democrat party and the evangelical left.
Taxpayer
May 24th, 2009
9:18 am
It’s not like we’re talking about a woman’s freedom to control her own body or a person’s freedom to wed whomever (except for that dude running for office in Georgia), or a person’s right to lug an RPG on a bus (wait a minute, that one is probably allowed in certain portions of the red states), etc. I wonder if that ‘Liberty’ place is open to the expression of all types of religions and paganism and such. Then again, how could they offer that much liberty and deny Democrats the freedom to just speak their peace. That’s it! They should have war mongered. They should have followed in the footsteps of the noble Romans and the Gladiators — “Those who are about to die, we salute you.”
Donovan
May 24th, 2009
9:19 am
Jay, what’s good for the goose…It is sweet payback that the Democrats are getting a dose of their own medicine. Harvard and Columbia have been showing their rear ends for far too long and it is refreshing to hear a liberal journalist bemoaning the fact that a little university is striking back. Take heed, Bookman. You can poison the well once too often. How’s circulation at the AJC?
mike
May 24th, 2009
9:21 am
Well, I guess that all of the Democrats who were planning on attending Liberty University will be rethinking their decision
AmVet
May 24th, 2009
9:22 am
Dedicated to one of America’s most repulsive christo-fascists and monied frauds ever – Jerry Falwell – and all of his groupies:
Lunatic fringe, I know you’re out there
You’re in hiding, And you hold your meetings
We can hear you coming, We know what you’re after
We’re wise to you this time, We won’t let you kill the laughter.
Lunatic fringe, in the twilight’s last gleaming
This is open season, but you won’t get too far
We know you’ve got to blame someone, For your own confusion
But we’re on guard this time, Against your final solution
We can hear you coming (We can hear you coming)
No you’re not going to win this time
We can hear the footsteps (We can hear the footsteps)
Way out along the walkway
Lunatic fringe, We know you’re out there
But in these new dark ages, There will still be light
An eye for an eye; Well before you go under…
Can you feel the resistance? Can you feel the thunder?
TW
May 24th, 2009
9:25 am
Didn’t King NutJob Falwell used to run this joint? Alas, his spirit lives. Anybody else see the irony in a ‘Christian’ Univ using The Bible as toilet paper? Guess Sermon On The Mount was just a bunch of liberal nonsense.
Call it a serious strike in the rightwing’s continued war on education. Brilliant! Timothy McVeigh would have been so proud!
The rest of the literate country? Not so much. But hey, thanks for the entertainment
BDAtlanta
May 24th, 2009
9:29 am
They don’t want their flock to think for themselves. Watch Fox News, go to church three times a week, and leave the thinking to the people who pull the strings.
Sad, very sad. Democracy, in order to work effectively, needs people who can draw conclusions and opinions for themselves. Someone who is told how to think and what to accept and not accept is useless in this system.
If a student decides they don’t care for the Democratic Party principles, they can dismiss them themselves, that is great and I can respect that. What I can’t respect are the institutions who want to control how people think, what they can think, and how they should vote.
That is intolerance. Dictators work that way, not democracies.
BDAtlanta
May 24th, 2009
9:34 am
Someone tell Boortz, he’d be proud. Here is a private institution putting out non-government schooled individuals. People who can’t think for themselves. They will probably wind up on Wall Street or in a Republican administration screwing our country up again like the last 8 years.
BDAtlanta
May 24th, 2009
9:37 am
lwwmm7 wrote: Conservative speakers have been shouted down and denied a chance at colleges for many years now.
They aren’t legally kept from operating on campuses. The reason it looks like they are being denied is because the majority of people who can actually get into a four year institution know the conservatives want to CONTROL and DICTATE what their followers can and can’t think. They reject the conservatives, simple as that.
mike
May 24th, 2009
9:38 am
“The old-time Baptists who fought so hard against mixing church and state business are probably rolling over in their graves.”
I don’t see what this has to do with separation between church and state at all. Liberty is a private school.
On the other hand, the public college I attended in the Northeast was overwhelming stocked with liberal faculty who regularly espoused their political beliefs under the guise of education.
mike
May 24th, 2009
9:39 am
I guess the Baptists should be as tolerant of dissenting views as are the posters on this blog.
BDAtlanta
May 24th, 2009
9:40 am
I switched to a Republican in 2006 just to try and help keep Ralph Reed out of Georgia’s government. Whew, we landslided that nutjob.
Scary people, just crazy scary people.
Christian fundamentalists should be considered just as dangerous as Muslim fundamentalists.
Kamchak
May 24th, 2009
9:42 am
“They will probably wind up on Wall Street or in a Republican administration screwing our country up again like the last 8 years.”
Wall Street?–definitely. A Republican administration? More likely a Libertarian administration.
Libertarians–the new neo-conned.
RW-(the original)
May 24th, 2009
9:42 am
Here’s the text of the email
It sounds more like a stand on University principle than a “banning” and the email actually acknowledges that the group will still exist, just without the support of the University.
Ray
May 24th, 2009
9:43 am
This is so cool! It’s like Virginia has it’s own little pocket of Stalin’s Soviet Union! Right there in LYNCHBURG! HAHAHA! HOW PERFECT!
mike
May 24th, 2009
9:44 am
“Christian fundamentalists should be considered just as dangerous as Muslim fundamentalists.”
Hmm. Despite the actions of a few isolated nutjobs like Tim McVeigh, I don’t see fundamentalist Christians viewing violence as a legitimate means to make their case.
Taxpayer
May 24th, 2009
9:45 am
Here is some more of the sad reality of three or four involuntary tours in the voluntary military.
Generals Find Suicide a Frustrating Enemy
Let’s honor our fallen soldiers by putting an end to more needless deaths.
Donovan
May 24th, 2009
9:45 am
Hmmm…let’s see. Now that we are throwing political hand grenades, what about the herd mentality of unions voting for any Democrat candidate? How about the endless focus groups not having a clue as to why they voted for Obama after each primary? How about the mindless robots buying into “the war is lost” and the “surge is a failure”? And, once again…shouting down and trashing the stages of conservative speakers at Harvard and Columbia? All of you Christian hating robots voted for this CHANGE going on in the socialization of America.
mike
May 24th, 2009
9:46 am
“They will probably wind up on Wall Street or in a Republican administration screwing our country up again like the last 8 years.”
Actually, based on the last elections, the Wall Street crowd are overwhelmingly Democrats. But then again, I wouldn’t want facts to creep in on perfectly good stereotypes.
“Although the Democratic presidential hopeful has vowed to raise capital gains and corporate taxes, financial industry bigs have contributed almost twice as much to Obama as to GOP rival John McCain, a Daily News analysis of campaign records shows.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/06/30/2008-06-30_barack_obama_has_collected_nearly_twice_-2.html
Mrs. Godzilla
May 24th, 2009
9:47 am
It’s Liberty U, for heaven’s sake. They have every right to do what they did, no matter how it appears.
As to free speech…let us not forget that ones right to free speech is in no way infringed when another uses theirs in opposition.
jt
May 24th, 2009
9:49 am
This is interesting to note.
Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church and the Washington Times, helped to financially stabilize the University through two of his organizations: News World Communications, which provided a $400,000 loan to the University at 6% interest; and the Women’s Federation for World Peace, which indirectly contributed $3.5 million toward the school’s debt.[42] Liberty University spokesman Mark DeMoss said the school was not aware of News World’s connection to Moon when it obtained the loan through a broker. “I’m not going to be pious and tell you we would have turned it down,” DeMoss said. “Because it was a business transaction, we probably would have moved forward even if Dr. Falwell or somebody in the organization knew who News World Communications was.”[42] Liberty University founder Jerry Falwell stated that the source of the funds does not influence his ministry, Stating: “If the American Atheists Society or Saddam Hussein himself ever sent an unrestricted gift to any of my ministries, be assured I will operate on Billy Sunday’s philosophy: The Devil’s had it long enough, and quickly cash the check.”[43]
Ron Godwin, now Vice Chancellor at Liberty University, was previously employed under Rev. Moon as Vice President of the Washington Times.[44]
Kamchak
May 24th, 2009
9:49 am
Hmmm…let’s see. How about voting for a man for president because you would like to have a beer with him?
Road Scholar
May 24th, 2009
9:50 am
Conservatives not being heard! Give me a break. Even at Obama’s alma mater, the conserves thought that he was more interested in hearing their views than the libs. Obviously, by listening to both or all sides, Obama could shape his opinions and policies. Lord help us (I thought that this was applicable due to Liberty U (what a joke for a name).
I also thought that what Glenn Beck said the other day. “I don’t do any fact checks on what info/opinion I express. I’m an entertainer.” This is very apparent by the crap he puts out. So, he can slander anyone, if he desires? He should have a disclaimer for his show since it is on Fox News.
Jimmy Joe Bob
May 24th, 2009
9:51 am
Why don’t Baptists make love standing up?
They’re afraid people will accuse them of dancing!
mike
May 24th, 2009
9:53 am
Road Scholar –
Glenn Beck is a partisan fool, but he is no different than Olbermann or Maddow.
jt
May 24th, 2009
9:53 am
BD wrote-
“Christian fundamentalists should be considered just as dangerous as Muslim fundamentalists.”
For those who eschew a GOD, and put all of their religious faith in GOVERMENT, are by far, the most dangerous.
Lenin,Hitler,etc……
Linville
May 24th, 2009
9:54 am
BD,
I switched to Democrat in 2004 to keep Cynthia McKinney out…but stayed Republican last year and sure didn’t vote for Reed. Did vote for Obama, though.
Private schools have a right to do anything they want. That’s been going on for years, with Oliver North banned from Ivy League campuses and Ahmadinejad welcomed. Both liberal and conservative campuses have a bad record. So the Liberty decision isn’t a surprise, it’s just another disappointment.
Mike, did you notice that the Southern Baptists came out against torture last week? Maybe the fundamentalists are getting the message that all our rights are at risk if we start cheating on the Constitution for a little protection.
“He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.”
Taxpayer
May 24th, 2009
9:56 am
How about voting for the ‘man’ that says he has ‘family values’. hehehe
jt
May 24th, 2009
9:58 am
Kamchak wrote-
Libertarians–the new neo-conned.
Sorry dude- Never happen. Libertarians are the party of superior intelligence. Conning happens the the R&D sheeple.
Road Scholar
May 24th, 2009
9:58 am
Mike, I suppose you never have heard of what has happened in Gulf Breeze Florida. Doctors who do LEGAL abortions being murdered by “activist” Christian extremists. They justify it by saying that it was a single murder to save multiple babies in the future. Killing the doctor is still murder. Abortion is legal as long as it is within the law.
mike
May 24th, 2009
9:59 am
Linville –
“Mike, did you notice that the Southern Baptists came out against torture last week? Maybe the fundamentalists are getting the message that all our rights are at risk if we start cheating on the Constitution for a little protection. ”
Sure did, but I didn’t see folks complaining about Baptists “imposing their morals on us” or abrogating “separation of church and state matters” then.
Besides, Obama has solved the torture issue just fine. He is shipping them to Pakistan and Middle East countries to be tortured by them:
“The United States is now relying heavily on foreign intelligence services to capture, interrogate and detain all but the highest-level terrorist suspects seized outside the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, according to current and former American government officials.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/world/24intel.html?hp
Between this and the notion that indefinitely detaining terrorism suspects in SuperMax prisons instead of Gitmo, it is clear that the change that Obama is bringing is window dressing and doesn’t really address the moral and legal issues surrounding these matters.
Ray
May 24th, 2009
10:00 am
Glenn Beck and Manteats in Black are to substance abuse what Maddow and Olbermann are to education.
AmVet
May 24th, 2009
10:00 am
As I noted earlier, I was surprised the thought police at Falwelll State allowed them in the first place.
But after researching a bit I found the Dems were ONLY allowed if they were anti-abortion and anti-sodomite.
But it turns out, even that wasn’t enough.
Mark Hine, the vice president of student affairs, claims that the Democratic Party violates school principles and includes their positions on “abortion, socialism, and the agenda of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders.”
Ironic that the name is Liberty University.
A name change seems in order.
Liberty for Some University?
mike
May 24th, 2009
10:01 am
Road Scholar –
Of course, I am familiar with the isolated cases you cite. I addressed individual nutjobs in the post to which you are responding. That is a far different than the widespread support for terrorism found among fundamentalist Muslims. Are there any fundamentalist Christian leaders calling for the destruction of American cities?
Kamchak
May 24th, 2009
10:02 am
jt
Sorry dude, that’s the same thing the Goldwater Republicans said.
Meet the new boss–same as the old boss.
mike
May 24th, 2009
10:03 am
“Glenn Beck and Manteats in Black are to substance abuse what Maddow and Olbermann are to education.”
Hmm. They are all a bunch of partisan blowhards. I could really care less what their problems with substance abuse were. Lord knows that liberals never have abused drugs.
mike
May 24th, 2009
10:04 am
AmVet –
“Liberty for Some University?”
Liberty for any who choose to attend knowing full well where the school is coming from. As opposed to most schools that are not honest about their political stances.