US News
Porn movie shown on US college campus despite funding threats
Apr 7, 2009, 19:33 GMT
Washington - A few hundred students gathered at a US university campus to watch a pornographic film, chanting slogans about free speech and protesting threats by a state senator to cut funding if the movie was screened.
Students of the University of Maryland watched excerpts of Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge on Monday night, which was followed by a discussion on free speech by lawyers and professors.
Only half an hour of the two-and-a-half-hour film was shown - but the students had made their point.
Senator Andrew Harris, a Republican in the Maryland state legislature, had last week threatened to block 424 million dollars of funding to the university after the movie was set to be screened at the student union, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.
'I know some students would like to portray this as a free speech issue. It is not,' Harris said in a statement. The screening at the student union theatre was cancelled last week. On Monday, the film was shown at a lecture hall and was not paid for by the university.
Some students thought it was a controversy over nothing, while a few were appalled that the film was shown on campus. 'That was crazy. I don't know what they were thinking, to put that in a public viewing, especially on a college campus,' Idara Inokon, 19, told the Post. 'It's just not appropriate.'
The university said in a statement: 'Although not condoning this movie or any excerpts from it that might be shown, the University of Maryland must allow this event, but has insisted that it include an educational component.'
For the Student Power Party coalition, the push to go ahead with the film despite threats was to show that they would not be bullied.
'It's a great opportunity to have more of a dialogue on free speech and the role of pornography in society,' said Malcolm Harris, one of the organizers, adding that Harris was also invited, but declined.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Right on target SP4! What hypocrites. Oh but these are the bastions of higher learning. No wonder we are falling way way behind.
It's probably not so much as exercising their free speech as a civilized event, but to push the boundaries as far as they can just for the hell of it!
Religion is an exercise in stupidity and should not be allowed anywhere, especially on a college campus.
Religion is the exact opposite of things to be taught on a university campus as it is built on blind belief and dogma.In religion no proof of anything is necessary,the written words of any stone age or bronze age textbook is to be taken seriously:in religion the earth and the entire universe are created in a matter of six or seven days ,to be taken seriously because some ignorant high priests wrote that down more than two thousand years ag,out of the blue.
Religion can be studied on a campus however as a subject .The history of religions,the sociological implications,the psychological implications,the ties between religions and political classes,all these make for interesting subjects.Probably not the perspective SP4 was implicating .I guess he is telling you all that religion is a science and it uses the tools of scientific examination such as empirical research to fine-tune it's propositions .
Of course it does none of that and SP4is just selling his ordinary bunkus without even knowing what he is talking about;not exactly a surprise .So tell us SP4 what kind of role would religion serve on a university campus ?
Feel free to elaborate...Until now you only made a silly affirmation,is it going anywhere ?
In other words:free speech should be allowed everywhere ,but the goal of a university is to teach science,religion is not science .period.
The role of university is NOT to teach science. The role of university is to advance one's education. There are many fields of study that are not science. History, Art, Music, Mathematics, Medicine and yes, even Religious studies. Science, per se, is not taught at University. Fields that may be considered as science, such as Physics are taught. Now, do you feel slightly more educated, you poser? YOU are NOT the real Tonny from Belgium. You're an idiot.
need to lighten up, even get laid, instead of yanking off on this site.
Let us not play with words ,let us not engage in semantics .When I say university 's goal is to teach science ,it certainly does not conflict another opinion that says it is to educate us all.on condition of course that only science is used in education.If not one ends up with silly institutions like the Oral Roberts university not to be taken seriously in the academic world.arts are taught in conservatories and academies mostly here in Europe,devoted to arts specifically .
Now let us see how one is to be educated on university ,which principles should be used if others than purely scientific standards .Every university offering studies regarding politics is labelling those 'political sciences' ,which puts te standards above 'academical discussions' .Histor is included and used as a scientific tool to evaluate political actions and trhinking,o verify result;in clear it is a study tool and as such is included in studies.
But that still leaves me wondering why any aficionado of a religious sect or church should have the right to present the fruit of his personal fantasy as a subject to be studied at uni.If not for purely propagandistic reasons,what could be the reason? Frankly I see non at all,unless the same standards are applied in every church,synagogue,mosque ,etc ,and all those institutions are opened to contradictory debate .
Until now there is no trace of any will to inflict religion in any other form than brainwashing of children from their tenderest age into the mental prison that excludes free thinking .
'let us not engage in semantics'
Who's 'playing,' dickwad?
Do you have the faintest clue as to what semantics means?
Here's a clue, A-hole: Semantics is the study of the meanings of words.
In language, semantics is EVERYTHING. If you don't know the meaning of words, then how can you effectively communicate?
Not only do you suffer from a complete lack of education, but your logic is faulty and full of non-sequiturs.
You, are NOT Tonny from Belgium. You're Tony from Bilge-um, a poser.
That's probably your tactic, buddy. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
f*ck off, moron. your comment, like you, is meaningless.
And your comment says it all about your (lack of) intelligence!
yeah, right. Says who, you? ROFLMAO.
At least you agree!!!
page: 1
SP4: andApr 7th, 2009 - 19:44:35
..the Obama administration objects to religious meetings on college campuses...where is the freee speech component here?...time, place, venue...?
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