Letter: University violated protesters' freedom of speech

The expulsion of two fundamentalist Christian protesters Thursday is a disgrace to this University and this country. Don't get me wrong, according to these guys logic, I'm every bit as burdened with eternal damnation as the next guy, but that is totally beside the point and would never stop me from allowing them to practice their First Amendment rights.

The fact that some within the Duke community were so insecure that they saw fit to trample on these men's Constitutional rights is particularly disturbing and maddening to me when I reflect on the multitude of times every single day at this school that I must "suck it up" in the name of respecting other people's freedom of speech. In only the past few weeks, I've stood by while people call our president a "babykiller" as well as when this University uses my money to sponsor a make-out session.

Are these things that I view as pleasant additions to Main West Campus? Do they please me? No, but I respect their rights as Americans to take these actions that "upset passersby" such as myself. I wish, in the latter case, that my money would be excluded from my annoyance, but the rights of those involved remain the same.

I walked by during Thursday's "demonstration" and it wasn't a big deal at all. The only reason it could be reported that there were a 100 people outside of Alpine is because the area always has at least a 100 people there at noon on Thursdays. When I came upon the protesters in question there was no solicitation going on. If someone shouting "sinners repent" is to be construed as solicitation, people shouting "make peace not war" or asking for toleration of homosexuals is equally inappropriate.

Therefore I must ask--since when has it been against the law to "speak loudly" or "upset passersby?" This event just further reaffirms my strong opinion that all this crap about "dialogue" is the inane leftist pile it appears to be. The hypocrisy of those who would call themselves "liberal" and deny people their basic liberties never fails to amuse, disgust and anger me.