A Crisis of Courage
I posted some thoughts on student leadership on my personal blog, this will run as a column in the DI tomorrow. The column is titled A Crisis of Courage. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Love
Josh
Love
Josh
posted by Joshua | 11:45 PM
4 Comments:
"In defense of DI Editor in Chief Acton Gorton's decision to run the infamous Jyllands-Posten cartoons without consulting the editorial board, guest columnist Josh RohRscheib claims 'it is hard to deny that his actions took courage' ('A Crisis of Courage' 2/13/06).
"Perhaps the decision would have taken courage if the DI were published in a country where legal restrictions or cultural repression made Gorton's actions even remotely risky. But please don't be fooled by the way he and his defenders are wrapping themselves in the Bill of Rights and self-congratulatory bombast. The First Amendment isn't meant to protect them from the ire of private citizens, including the consulted members of the editorial board.
"Gorton's defenders seems to imagine some patriotic national storehouse of free speech that they contribute to every time they publish "offensive" content. If this were a case of bravely defying a oppressive power, Gorton could have asked the other college-age journalists on the editorial board to muster the courage of their convictions and collaborate on the most responsible way to present the cartoons.
"I suspect that Gorton knew that the members of the editorial board would agree with the vast majority of professional newspaper organizations in this country that decided not to publish the cartoons.
"Publishing the cartoons was unnecessary and inflammatory. Gorton unilaterally decided to stage a sophomoric publicity student he knew the editorial board would not endorse.
"If he is fired, it will not be because of his courage, but his arrogance. Do not let him or Rohrscheib, who promises to discontinue his column on principle if Gorton is dismissed, posture as "courageous" martyrs to some imagined opponents of free expression. The are so eager to pose as rebels, they demean the freedoms they invoke."
By S. Margot Finn
Alumni Class of '03
Printed in the Daily Illini
Wednesday, Feb. 15th 2006
silly ex girlfriend
Has Acton been reinstated? How much longer until one of the columnist gigs opens up? Josh? What's that sound? Oh, yeah. The Sound...of Silence.
Anon - he's still on suspension - if he is fired I do intent do resign.
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