@universityofcincinnati, @prezono, Questions In Regard To The Malicious Evangelism On Campus Yesterday. (an open letter) I am appalled that our University finds it frequently permissible to allow hate speech on our campus under the guise of church members who pay the University to participate in a “free speech zone.” Without naming specific churches, I’m certain there is an awareness of the malicious evangelists I’m talking about. In my years as a student here at the University, I’ve seen more than a handful of offensive banners and heard hours of shouted derogatory remarks to otherwise peaceful members of U.C.; the “fags,” “sinners,” & the like. This behavior is unacceptable. My urge to all relevant parties is not to limit what views can be expressed in a public setting, but rather, I urge the administration to see that this is abuse or more appropriately hate speech, and that the general perception of their presence is one of deep offense. Yesterday, the student body had yet again been exposed to harassment from a trio of aggressive and insulting evangelists standing outside of TUC. These, and the other straw hat clad proselytizers have no obvious purpose in being on campus, other than to yell at students and antagonize them. Other religiously affiliated groups have occupied the same space to achieve what I assume to be is the same intention - to spread the good news/to turn people to christ/to increase specific congregation size - without harassing a single student. Willing use of harassment and verbal abuse is the difference between the two types of evangelism found on TUC. There are tones of pro-inequality in the specific language that the malicious evangelists shout. For example, “If you are not right with Christ, you are damned to hell” & “Masturbators will burn in hell. In their stated logic, they are attempting to save people which seems vaguely noble in only their eyes, but for those who have not chosen an anglo-christian religion, or any religion at all, this rhetoric is true harassment. I am curious to see what the reaction from the University would be to a radical Islamist group damning students for drinking with signs that read “Jihad.” Would the guise of a “free speech zone” protect them? [SRS NOTE , THAT WAS A JOKE.] The deep rooted nature of debate is important to the University. Free speech thrives in academia. As such, every sect of spirituality historically has and should have an open platform to speak in the beautiful public space of TUC, but the moment the right is abused and such events turn to harassment is the moment where it is correct and an obligation for the University to intervene with the intention of ending harassment directed towards the students. University services such as UCPD officers are used to hush dissent from the student population, giving the malicious evangelists a protected stage under the UC banner. How are any of us O.K. with this reoccurrence of this absurd hate speech, facilitated by us? In my attempt to counter the speaker by engaging in a debate/distraction, I was told that I was not allowed to antagonize the speaker, that because the area was a free speech zone and that I would be impeding his right to free speech. It was revealed to me that the University was paid to allow the evangelists to speak, also presumably to pay the CPD officer to guard the evangelists as they antagonized the UC student population. Are my assumptions correct here? Are University resources being used to protect this harassment? Also, what is the specific reason why these guys are allowed here? What’s the history of this sort of event? Is there some weird legal clause that I’m unaware of that states “religious zealots have renter’s rights on the quad?” It’s harassment, why hasn’t it ended? I’m aware that one email rarely changes policy in a large organization such as UC, but I do feel like I have a right to the answers to these questions, mainly, why does the University facilitate those who pay to harass their students? Sincerely concerned, Jack Macejko
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 21:22:02 +0000
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