Cops protest UMass forum with ex-radicals

Convicted domestic terrorist Ray Luc Levasseur was prohibited from attending a University of Massachusetts forum on his landmark 1989 sedition trial, but police officers and their supporters picketed anyway Thursday to protest his ex-wife's participation in the event.

[Jim]

The Governor should have been able to stop this event, but failed to exercise the authority the voters have given him.

Hopefully he will look at their budget and make the necessary cuts and staff reductions to make it more difficult for them to pull these kind of distastebul events

[umassole]

HEY sara lennox why dont you invite nidal hassan down there next. I bet he has some interesting viewpoints to discuss with you and the rest of those timothy leary types down there

[Ron]

There is no such thing as an EX-radical. This guy is a killer and still wants to bring the country down from within.

If he got the death penalty we wouldn't be talking about this.

[Obviously]

Jim wrote:

The Governor should have been able to stop this event, but failed to exercise the authority the voters have given him.
Hopefully he will look at their budget and make the necessary cuts and staff reductions to make it more difficult for them to pull these kind of distastebul events

Governor????

So from your viewpoint, it's okay for an elected official to censor free speech we find inappropriate? Furthermore, that we should give such an official this power? Are you on crack? Were you asleep in history class when they covered civil rights?

That's a great idea! Let's just tell the newspapers they can only tout the government line from now on and see where that gets us.

I hope you don't vote. You're not bright enough to see an issue in all its dynamics and probably vote on emotion rather than reason.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

[Obviously]

umassole wrote:

HEY sara lennox why dont you invite nidal hassan down there next. I bet he has some interesting viewpoints to discuss with you and the rest of those timothy leary types down there

Wow...another fool.

Way to obfuscate the issue. I'm sure all those phds were incorrect in their support of the event - I'm sure they were more concerned with hating America than allowing for a seminar that discusses the dynamics of free speech, both its positive and negative attributes.

But no...people like you are incapable of deeper thought.

Don't let the "Hooked on Phonix" book hurt your fingers when you slam it shut because you can't understand it.

[Obviously]

While he was wrong in the delivery of his protests, was he wrong to protest the fact that the U.S. was propping up vicious dictatorships for profit? Ever hear of the School of the Americas?

http://soaw.org/article.php...

I'm not defending this guy, but let's put it in perspective.

[kevin]

The guy advocated murder as a method of political change and tries to portray it as free speech. The world would be a much better place if his mother aborted him. The same is true for those that invited him to make the speech.
In the spirit of Free Speech who are the names of those who invited him and what are thier phone numbers and email address. I think it would be appropriate if they got a little free speech.

[Eric Stratton III]

Obviously wrote:

While he was wrong in the delivery of his protests, was he wrong to protest the fact that the U.S. was propping up vicious dictatorships for profit? Ever hear of the School of the Americas?
http://soaw.org/article.php...
I'm not defending this guy, but let's put it in perspective.

Nice try to get the SOA in the topic, the school has been blamed for everything from HIV to Crack to all the Coupes in C. and S. America. The guy was a Marxist, he would have protested anything the US did, period. While we did some unsavory things in the Cold War period it was in fact a struggle for survival and this guy would have done whatever he could have done to help the other side, ie; the Soviets. While I agree with your comments about free speech, to compare what he did with accusations, none proved and most are conspiracy theories, on the SOA is just silly and ill informed. Moral Relativism is not a good concept to embrace, let that go, it only seeks to justify evil actions.
PS-the Crazy Marxist still thinks it is a great philosophy! lol An Un-repentant terrorist in the US!? Wow! Shocker! lol So many hate it here so much that they do not want to live any other place! lol! Typical

"Communism, despite a 100 million dead we are still popular!"-Unkonwn

[Mike_duh_Mick_Gu ineann]

WE need to raise taxes in order to fight terrorism!!!

[umassole]

the only fool here is YOU. I work here and most of your esteemed phd holding acid heads are byproducts of the 60's, their time has passed.
free speech is one thing and i am exercising my right to it here but coddling murderous radicals goes too far. i bet you wish were at WACO or RUBY RIDGE to stand along side those fanatics. Your the type to excuse bin laden as a product of a corrupt capitalist society. why dont you do the world a favor and move to china. they know how to deal with radicals like you. ONE ROUND OF 11.5mm TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD.

Obviously wrote:

<quoted text>
Wow...another fool.
Way to obfuscate the issue. I'm sure all those phds were incorrect in their support of the event - I'm sure they were more concerned with hating America than allowing for a seminar that discusses the dynamics of free speech, both its positive and negative attributes.
But no...people like you are incapable of deeper thought.
Don't let the "Hooked on Phonix" book hurt your fingers when you slam it shut because you can't understand it.

[Traditionator]

UMass is a public institution spending a lot of our tax dollars. Embacing, encouraging, showcasing, appeasing or whatever a clearly unacceptable philosophy (HATE)is not free speech, it's immoral, perhaps criminal and common sense to stop.

[Interested Observer]

Obviously wrote:

While he was wrong in the delivery of his protests, was he wrong to protest the fact that the U.S. was propping up vicious dictatorships for profit? Ever hear of the School of the Americas?
http://soaw.org/article.php...
I'm not defending this guy, but let's put it in perspective.

Yes you are defending this guy--at least you are trying by defending his motives while glossing over his actions. This is not a free speech issue. He has a right to say what he wants, but they don't have to provide a forum for it. Why can't they find a protester to speak who isn't a convicte terrorist and leader of a group of mass murderers? This is just another attempt by leftist professors to keep themselves in the spotlight--a pathetic attempt. Imagine their reaction if Cheney or Rove or Bush or Coulter or Malkin was invited to speak. Actually we don't have to imagine do we? We see it frequently on campuses where they are invited. remember, professors around the country were big supporters of Ward Churchhill--the faux Indian, faux intellect--and signed a letter demanding the immediate castration of the Duke Lacrosse team before the trial. Castration being in the figurative sense--not literal. After that letter I know longered wondered why football and basketball coaches make more money thean professors. They have more sense.

[Susan]

Playing into his hands so to speak by not letting him come and speak. Is there not anyone at the university to question this man's actions of the past. My question to him would be - How do you justify your actions of killing people?

And then I would ask him to respond to this scenario. Would you still do it again if the person being killed was your grandchild instead of the police officer?

[Solon-O-Solon]

This article is in part about two dysfunctional groups: terrorists and cops.

Though there are some good cops and I have had the privilege of meeting some of these cops, the percentage of bad cops is much greater than the percentage of good cops. Rare is the police report that has any good faith credibility. Most police reports are plain garbage.

Regarding “Now a paralegal, Patricia Levasseur … said the United Freedom Front had good intentions but made some "mistakes [,]"
-- I should appeal to an old saying about ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions.’ Their acts, I submit, were not ethically or legally justifiable any more than were some of the dumb acts by the Black Panthers and other similarly misguided and much uncultured individuals. Was Reagan’s policy in Latin American wrong? Unequivocally, in many significant respects but these responses were stupid and criminal!

Regarding “"The focus of this whole event is the sedition trial of 1989 in Springfield, and it's not about the United Freedom Front or anything else," UMass professor Sara Lennox said.”There were many faculty that were alarmed that freedom of speech on the UMass campus could be so compromised and so ... many large departments, after polling their faculty, decided to sponsor this event -- not because any support the ideas, but because freedom of speech is sacred in this country.”
-- The First Amendment (which includes Freedom of Speech) is THEORETICALLY (under the U. S. Constitution and under the Constitution of the Commonwealth) sacred, but IN PRACTICE it is routinely violated by cops, by government agencies, by prosecutors, and by the courts.

Regarding "It's not just the ideas that you like," she said, "it is that the First Amendment and freedom of speech cannot be abridged."”
-- THAT IS THE WAY THAT IT SHOULD BE BUT OUR CITIZENRY IS STILL TOO UNEDUCATED AND EVEN MORE UNCULTURED, reflecting our jock culture.

[Tony Soprano]

Solon-O-Solon wrote:

This article is in part about two dysfunctional groups: terrorists and cops.
Though there are some good cops and I have had the privilege of meeting some of these cops, the percentage of bad cops is much greater than the percentage of good cops. Rare is the police report that has any good faith credibility. Most police reports are plain garbage.
Regarding “Now a paralegal, Patricia Levasseur … said the United Freedom Front had good intentions but made some "mistakes [,]"
-- I should appeal to an old saying about ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions.’ Their acts, I submit, were not ethically or legally justifiable any more than were some of the dumb acts by the Black Panthers and other similarly misguided and much uncultured individuals. Was Reagan’s policy in Latin American wrong? Unequivocally, in many significant respects but these responses were stupid and criminal!
Regarding “"The focus of this whole event is the sedition trial of 1989 in Springfield, and it's not about the United Freedom Front or anything else," UMass professor Sara Lennox said.”There were many faculty that were alarmed that freedom of speech on the UMass campus could be so compromised and so ... many large departments, after polling their faculty, decided to sponsor this event -- not because any support the ideas, but because freedom of speech is sacred in this country.”
-- The First Amendment (which includes Freedom of Speech) is THEORETICALLY (under the U. S. Constitution and under the Constitution of the Commonwealth) sacred, but IN PRACTICE it is routinely violated by cops, by government agencies, by prosecutors, and by the courts.
Regarding "It's not just the ideas that you like," she said, "it is that the First Amendment and freedom of speech cannot be abridged."”
-- THAT IS THE WAY THAT IT SHOULD BE BUT OUR CITIZENRY IS STILL TOO UNEDUCATED AND EVEN MORE UNCULTURED, reflecting our jock culture.

You must be referring to Mexico when calling most cops unethical.I'm not a cop and don't have any in the family.However,I think the magority of police officers do a good job.

[Tony Soprano]

Sorry,I posted before reading the full article.

[dogpound6b]

It's spelt majority, not magority, and the majority of police officers are usually losers that got the crap kicked out of them in high school, and now they're on a revenge trip. Pathetic oddessy, nothing more!

[Dennis]

dogpound6b wrote:

It's spelt majority, not magority, and the majority of police officers are usually losers that got the crap kicked out of them in high school, and now they're on a revenge trip. Pathetic oddessy, nothing more!

Silly post.

[Taxpayer1946]

How do you think these Amherst types would react if Glenn Beck were scheduled to speak? Would they support his free speech?

[Tewksbury Dad]

Obviously wrote:

<quoted text>
Wow...another fool.
Way to obfuscate the issue. I'm sure all those phds were incorrect in their support of the event - I'm sure they were more concerned with hating America than allowing for a seminar that discusses the dynamics of free speech, both its positive and negative attributes.
But no...people like you are incapable of deeper thought.
Don't let the "Hooked on Phonix" book hurt your fingers when you slam it shut because you can't understand it.

It's Hooked on Phonics you bone head, maybe you should try it.