Burn A Flag, Get Extra Credit For College Course
Posted on November 3, 2007
I usually don’t blog on the weekends, but reader PCD sent me this link this morning:
A University of Maine student alleges her former professor offered extra credit to class members if they burned the American flag or the U.S. Constitution or were arrested defending free speech.
On the first day of class, associate professor Paul Grosswiler offered the credit to members of his History of Mass Communications class, according to sophomore Rebekah McDade. Disturbed by the comment, McDade dropped the class and intends to take the course again next semester with a different professor.
“I was offended,” McDade said Friday. “I come from a family of military men and women, and the flag and Constitution are really important symbols to me because of my family background.”
In an e-mail responding to a request for comment from the Bangor Daily News on Friday, Grosswiler said he thought McDade misunderstood the class discussion, which was intended to elicit thought about the First Amendment. He said he has held this same discussion for years without incident.
“I don’t intend for students to burn either the Constitution or the flag, and over the years hundreds of students have understood that,” Grosswiler wrote.
He says he doesn’t intend for students to burn either but, reading further, it’s clear that he’s planting the idea in their heads:
When Grosswiler listed the extra-credit opportunities, McDade said the class of approximately 50 students grew very quiet, and some questioned whether he was serious.
At first, student Kathleen Dame said she thought Grosswiler was joking, but then he went on to explain to the class that burning the flag was not illegal. While Grosswiler approached the topic in a serious manner, Dame said she felt he used it as a tool to educate the class on the First Amendment.
So he offers extra credit to those who go out and burn the flag or whatever, and he doesn’t expect them to take it seriously? Right.
But wait, it gets even better:
When asked whether the university would pursue disciplinary action, Carr replied, “No.”
He said Grosswiler has worked at the University of Maine since 1991, is one of the more veteran professors in the department of communication and journalism, and is a “well-respected member of the faculty.”
In his e-mail Friday, Grosswiler, who is a former BDN employee, explained that he refers to provocative examples, such as flag burning, to demonstrate the courage necessary to support free expression.
“If they don’t tolerate thought that they hate, they don’t believe in the First Amendment,” he wrote.
“I applaud the student’s exercise of free expression. If she had stayed in the class, I would have given her extra credit for publicizing her opinions.”
Typical c.y.a. statement, in other words. Yes, kids should be taught that sometimes free speech means having to listen to or witness things that you don’t like and don’t agree with, but that doesn’t mean you send them out to engage in that sort of behavior.
Isn’t it nice to know what your kids are learning at college? But yeah, there’s no liberal bias at these institutions, and there’s certainly no attempt to indoctrinate them into liberal nutland. Puh-lease.
Exit question: Don’t you just love it when liberals like this guys protest America by burning the flag, yet when they get called on it they immediately hide behind everything that flag represents?
(Cross-posted at Liberty Pundit)
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, ACLU, Liberal Media/Bias, News, Politics As Usual
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10 Responses to “Burn A Flag, Get Extra Credit For College Course”
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Will he give extra credit for burning an effigy of Mohammed next semester?
These are the kind of professors we need to get removed from our elementary, junior high, high schools and colleges. Why wouldn’t he give extra credit for STOPPING someone from burning those items instead? He should be encouraging loyalty to our country instead of burning our flag and Constitution. Many of our schools don’t even teach American History any longer, which means the children will never know what really happened in America.
Maybe, very maybe, he was encouraging students to say ” Yep, we can do that here, but anywhere else you get your head sawn off with a rusty knife.”
UofM likes to be contrary, and I applaud contrary, but I would like to see this guy try to do this with…say…a T-shirt with Che on it. You know, for balance and admiting that U.S. culture is just as valid and misunderstood as other cultures.
Never happen, but a guy can dream.
Since when do Profs think they have the right to plant ideas in peoples heads? Thats not what America is about. America is about Gerry Springer and Paris Hilton and doing what your told by whoever is in charge. And furthermore, what was this guy thinking when he alerted the students to the existence of the American Constitution? We have had 7 good years ignoring the constitution, why ruin things now? I bet Universities are already teaching vulnerable minds about science, geography and rule of law.
Disgusting!
Burn an Islamic flag and get an A for the course and you are excused from attendance.
Did you ever take a course and know you were smarter than the prof?
Why is flag burning such an important issue? The U.S. Flag is a symbol of the freedoms that we won in the Revolutionary War against an oppressive government, having the ability to burn it supports and emphasizes this symbolism.
My first question would have been, Can I burn a Mexico flag for extra credit instead of the us flag? how about Hamas’s flag? Iran’s?????????
What is your point Gary? Do you do this in all your classes? Do you ask for substitute homewrk and ask for different tests? Do you want to study the Mexican constitution or Iran’s instead? That’s cool, maybe take a different class.
Do you think the big bad professor would get flustered by your question?
Please tell us your point.
Why is Flag burning an important issue, you need only to ask a parent of a fallen Military member who has given the full measure of devotion to his or her country. You can also ask a Military Vet. or Retired Vet. the same question. It’s not about what you are free to do, it’s about what is right and what is wrong. Those that have not served or will never serve, just do not understand, that’s is the saddest part to me. Would you find is wrong if while you are exercising your free right to burn the flag, I exercised my right to save that flag by any means possible, including by force. I dought that you would. No you just plain would not ever understand, until or unless you have stood the Watch.
You will never understand what it means to be a citizen of the United States and that is truly the saddest part to me.
What is the basis for your right to save the flag by any means possible, including by force?
I suggest you read the U.S. Constitution and study some history.