January 19, 2005

FIRE Press Release

FORT PIERCE, Fla., January 19, 2005—Florida’s Indian River Community College (IRCC), which recently prohibited The Passion of the Christ from being shown on campus, has admitted that last year it approved a screening of the R-rated documentary film Welcome to Sarajevo at a college-sponsored event.  This information contradicts the college’s claim to have banned all R-rated movies—an unwritten policy that it used to justify its decision to prohibit the Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) from screening The Passion of the Christ.  The admission also undermines the college’s claim that allowing a skit called “F**king for Jesus” to be performed on campus was a breakdown of procedure.

                                                           

“IRCC’s double standard is shameful and causes legitimate concern that the school is not acting to enforce an actual ‘policy’ but has instead singled out religious expression for censorship,” stated David French, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), which intervened on behalf of CSF.  “IRCC seems to understand that adult students have a legitimate educational interest in watching an R-rated film in some cases, but rejects the idea that the same students should be able to watch a movie about their faith in a private student group meeting.  These distinctions are juvenile and demonstrate precisely why the state should not be regulating the speech of adults.” 

 

After FIRE brought IRCC’s campaign to repress the expressive activities of the CSF to the public last week, students came forward with reports that the college has not generally prohibited R-rated films in the past.  For instance, they reported that the R-rated documentary film Welcome to Sarajevo was shown on campus in February 2004.  College spokesperson Michelle Abaldo later confirmed the showing of this film to the Palm Beach Post.  This directly conflicts with IRCC’s policy as stated in its letter to FIRE, which broadly claimed that “the College has made a determination that it is inappropriate to have R-rated movies shown on campus.”

 

FIRE Director of Legal and Public Advocacy Greg Lukianoff remarked, “The Supreme Court has explained that public institutions, which are bound by the First Amendment, cannot ban expression for all adults because of some theoretical fear of a minor being exposed to that expression.  To paraphrase the Court, IRCC may not reduce the discourse of the campus to that of the sandbox.”  He continued, “Applying a flat-out ban on R-rated movies excludes films with obvious educational value, from Schindler’s List to the most recent interpretations of Shakespeare.  When the MPAA established its voluntary rating system in 1968, it was never intended to be used to limit the expressive activities of adults.  IRCC has imposed an unconstitutional and patronizing rule on its students.” 

 

While IRCC takes time to “investigate” its own inconsistent actions and unwritten policies, CSF remains unable to meet or organize on campus because it lacks a faculty sponsor who can fulfill IRCC’s unreasonable requirement that a college official must attend every formal group meeting or event. 

 

“CSF must immediately be allowed to meet without a school official present,” stated Lukianoff.  “Every day that IRCC refuses to lift this unlawful requirement puts the college at greater risk of legal liability for denying students’ constitutional rights,” he added.

 

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, due process, freedom of expression, academic freedom, and rights of conscience at our nation’s colleges and universities.  FIRE’s efforts to preserve liberty on campuses across America can be viewed at thefire.org.

 

CONTACT:

Greg Lukianoff, Director of Legal and Public Advocacy, FIRE: 215-717-3473; greg@thefire.org

 

Homepage link: http://www.thefire.org

December 22, 2003

In a move that many might consider ironic at the least, a charity Christmas
CD has been banned from distribution because it mentions the baby Jesus.

The decision by the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, Scotland,
was instituted because of fears it could offend people who belong to a faith
other than Christianity.

"We could not just hand out the CD," a hospital spokeswoman told the
Scotsman newspaper. "If it went to every child it could cause offence to
those who are not Christian."

Many see the measure as the latest attempt to "de-Christianize" Christmas,
and at least one prominent Muslim leader in Scotland ridiculed the ban.

"If somebody doesn't want to listen to this, they don't have to. This is
political correctness gone mad," Bashir Maan told the Scotsman. "It is going
too far and it is going to be counterproductive.

"This is Christmas time and the overwhelming majority of the people in this
country are Christians. If people want to celebrate then they should have
the right, as should minority groups. But if the freedom is only one-sided,
then the majority will be offended."

The artist who recorded the CD to raise money for the Marie Curie Cancer
Care was equally shocked.

"To think that something as innocent as a Christmas CD could be considered
offensive - I just can't believe it," said singer Jane Butters. "Ironically,
they said it would be OK to hand out these CDs at their carol concert on
Monday."

A hospital spokeswoman told the paper: "We couldn't just hand out this CD to
everyone, but if people chose to go to a carol service, they could pick one
up there."

Just last month, the Scottish Parliament banned traditional Christmas cards
due to similar fears of offending other religions. Officials said "Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year" could not appear on government cards, as the
wording was not deemed to be "socially inclusive."

As WorldNetDaily has reported, controversy over Christmas traditions in
America has been growing in recent years, even to the point where some
Christians say Jesus should not be included in any part of the celebration,
due to purported pagan origins of the holiday.
 

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36247

Tear Down the Cross

Why is President Bush supporting a group trying to convince African-American churches to literally throw their crosses in the trash?

by John Gorenfeld, Contributor
12.21.04

This wintry season, as the faithful continue to receive alarming reports from the news that Republicans are all that stand between them and the outlawing of Christmas itself by hordes of secular humanists, the two presidents Bush have endorsed a powerful conservative interest group specializing in removing the cross -- not from schools or courthouses, but from churches.

Rather than the traditional egg hunt, this group, calling itself the American Clergy Leadership Conference, sponsored a nationwide "Tear Down The Cross" day for Easter, 2003. Last week, leaders in this radical cause presided over a Washington prayer breakfast featuring messages of thanks from the presidents. Former Senator Bob Dole came in person.

Mostly African-American, pastors who joined in 2003's ACLC-sponsored "Tear Down The Cross" won gold watches from the wealthy group, which unabashedly claims in its publications to have stripped churches of over a hundred crosses over the Easter holiday alone. This, movement leaders said, cleared the way for a new age and second messiah.

 

During the American Clergy Leadership Conference tour that the president hailed last week, pastor John Kingara of Massachussetts puts a cross out with the garbage, April 18, 2003 (Source: Moon's Web site FamilyFed.org)

 

Speaking of messiahs, make a quick stop at the web site of the ACLC, and it's clear there's more to it than the "rapidly growing movement of clergy committed to the endeavor of making this nation the best that it can be," as the ACLC described itself in a December 8 Washington Times op-ed. It's actually a vehicle for Sun Myung Moon, the billionaire conservative donor who calls himself the True Father.

Though the breakfast boasted two other "co-sponsors," both are easily identifiable as projects of the self-declared Messiah: the International and Interreligious Federation of World Peace and the American Family Coalition, which Moon founded in 1984. How much more eminent these names sound than "the Moonies"! In the 1970s, that was the shorthand on the evening news for Moon's followers, whose frank call for crushing Western democracy, combined with success in recruiting teenagers, made them a popular nightmare on the evening news.

On Wednesday, a video file containing the elder President Bush's message to the ACLC disappeared from the movement's web site, though both Bush endorsements were reported in the Washington Times. Neither the White House nor the ACLC returned requests for comment on the breakfast and President Bush's participation.

http://gadflyer.com/articles/?ArticleID=258 [< Click link for full story]

By Jimmy Moore
Talon News
January 6, 2005

WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- Public display of crosses at President George W. Bush's Inaugural Parade on January 20 will be prohibited, according to a letter sent to the National Park Service by the U.S. Secret Service last month.

On December 17, 2004, the Secret Service sent a letter on U.S. Department of Homeland Security letterhead to Terry Carlstrom, who serves as the regional director of the National Park Service in the National Capitol Region.

A list of banned items during the Inaugural Parade is outlined in the letter, including firearms, ammunition, explosives, weapons of any kind, aerosols, sign supports, packages, coolers, thermal or glass containers, backpacks, large bags, laser pointers, animals, structures, and anything else determined to be a safety hazard.

Specifics are mentioned in the letter about the size and scope of any signs brought to the Inaugural Parade, including being made with materials that do not pose any danger to parade participants by means of concealing a weapon.

Other prohibited items that the Secret Service deems as threatening to parade participants are also listed within the text of the letter, including props, folding chairs, bicycles, puppets, paper mache, coffins, crates, crosses, theaters, cages, and statues.

Approved items at the parade according to the letter include signs, portable bullhorns, cell phones, baby carriages, baby strollers, wheelchairs, and other devices used by handicapped persons as long as they have a National Park Service permit.

The Christian Defense Coalition was granted one of these permits on December 23, 2004 to hold a prayer vigil and demonstration at the Inaugural Parade, but its director was appalled that they would not be allowed to display any crosses at this event.

"By prohibiting the public display of crosses at the Inauguration Parade, the Secret Service has trampled the First Amendment and crushed religious freedom in the public square," remarked Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition. "Simply put, it is religious bigotry and censorship."

Mahoney added that it appears that Christian symbols are the only ones being forbidden, and he will risk being apprehended by the Secret Service to declare his right to free speech and freedom of religion.

"We want to make it clear that we will be on the public sidewalks holding crosses at the Inauguration Parade even if that means risking arrest and jail," Mahoney contended. "The First Amendment should be celebrated at this Inauguration, not crushed."

A news conference has been scheduled for Thursday at 11:30 a.m. EST on the corner of 4th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, the site of the prayer vigil and demonstration to be held on January 20 during the Inauguration Parade, to discuss this prohibition of public cross displays approved by the Secret Service.

http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/newswire/news2005/0105/010605-cross-display.htm

The case began when a man walked into the Slidell courthouse earlier this year and saw the portrait, which has hung there for a decade.