Posted by Eugene Volokh:
What Are College Students To Do,
when they're offended by pictures of aborted fetuses being distributed
on campus? Why, [1]call the police, of course:
Protesters handing out anti-abortion pamphlets on campus caused a
series of complaints to local police Wednesday.
Director of Public Safety Jerry Stewart said ISU Police received 12
phone calls within one hour on Wednesday afternoon from people
objecting to graphic images displayed on posters and handouts from
a group of people objecting to abortion.
Abby LaCombe, senior in political science, was approached by the
group and said she was upset by its protest.
"[I told them] every time you come to our campus it just creates a
deeper schism," she said. "There's better ways to go about speaking
your message."
Sarah Foster, senior in mechanical engineering, said abortion was
not the only subject the group was protesting.
"This [was] anti-choice, anti-women, anti-everything," she said.
The pamphlets, from the Milwaukee-based group Missionaries to the
Preborn, included information on abortion, birth control, breast
cancer, opposition to Planned Parenthood and contained photos of
aborted fetuses.
It's not clear whether Ms. LaCombe and Ms. Foster were among the 12
people complaining to the police; but I would have hoped that the 12
college students must have realized that there's nothing illegal about
displaying disturbing pictures as part of one's political argument. I
guess I would have hoped in vain.
Fortunately, the police knew better. "While the images that appeared
may be objectionable to a number of people, they appear to be legal,"
Stewart said. Funny that -- some objectionable speech is actually
legal, even though it offends some college students! What is the world
coming to?
References
1.
http://www.iowastatedaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/04/07/4254b8fa03927?in_archive=1
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