Conservative college student details campus harassment
University of Iowa student Jasmyn Jordan joined Americas Newsroom to discuss her experience on campus and why she believes she was targeted.
History and anthropology professor Dr. Carl Blair reportedly insulted and ranted against the Young Americans for Freedom chapter during a class at Michigan Technological University.
Audio from the Young America’s Foundation (YAF) released on Tuesday featured Blair appearing to launch into a tirade against the organization following its Freedom Week project on campus. The student group constructed a mock Berlin Wall to commemorate the 34th anniversary of its fall, an act Blair derided as "childish" and "stupid."
"For those of you who weren’t aware of it [YAF’s Freedom Week activism project], good. For those of you who were aware of it, it was childish, stupid, homophobic, dumb, racist twits. That’s the polite version," Blair said.
He added that faculty members are currently tempering their reactions to the YAF, though he claims that some faculty members are hoping for the group to be censored so they can play the victim.
Michigan Tech professor Carl Blair was reportedly caught in audio ranting against a conservative college group. (Google Earth)
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"Because there are, quite bluntly, certain faculty members who are hoping… the students will be censored for this. Because then they can go off and say and pretend ‘Oh we’re victims, you’re restricting our, you know, freedom of speech, we should have, we have a constitutional right to be insulting, violent and threatening. How dare you restrict our speech?’" Blair mocked.
The Young America's Foundation has previously come under fire on college campuses for criticizing communist and socialist governments. (Young Americas Foundation)
He continued, "Strictly speaking, they’re right. They didn’t target a single student, just groups. It was wrong, it was tacky, it’s not illegal – what they did. Stupid, uncollegial, really bad taste, and it shows what a bunch of ying yangs they are. You know, it’s too bad you all have to deal with things like that. Wasted half my morning dealing with things like that. It’s annoying."
The YAF also provided a video on Friday of a protester vandalizing and tearing down the mock Berlin Wall, berating the group in the process.
The group’s magazine publication,"The New Guard," reached out to Blair for a comment. He allegedly responded, "I stand by my words and I have nothing else to say to you," before slamming the phone.
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FOX News Digital also reached out to the university and Dr. Blair for a comment. A Michigan Tech spokesperson replied, "As a flagship technological university with a strong research focus, Michigan Tech vigorously supports freedom of speech and academic freedom. We follow the Chicago Principles in this manner. With this, we expect an environment of respect and civility, even more so within our classrooms."
A Michigan Tech spokesperson responded to Fox News Digital saying it "vigorously supports freedom of speech and academic freedom." (Google Earth)
YAF also released a statement on the incident saying, "Young Americans for Freedom at Michigan Tech stands by free speech on all campuses across the United States. We do so in the face of insults from a professor and others who think First Amendment protections only apply to their worldview. The student who vandalized our display has the right to free speech, but went too far, endangering people and damaging property. Our chapter seeks civil conversation on a diverse variety of topics and positions."
The audio ended with Blair lamenting how "idiots" like the YAF group members are causing controversy.
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"That’s not what college should be about. You know, it should be a place where you could learn, experience, do interesting things, have interesting opportunities – hint, hint, study away – uh, rather than wasting your time and having to address idiots. They’re idiots out there. Sorry, that’s life," Blair said.
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