From: utzoo!decvax!duke!mcnc!ncsu!fostel
Newsgroups: net.college
Title: 
Article-I.D.: ncsu.1096
Posted: Sat Feb 19 10:13:18 1983
Received: Thu Feb 24 03:04:40 1983



        Indeed, people like Kirkpatrick still exist, and people like
        the audience still exist. I guess it wasn't just one misguided
        generation in the late 60's.

        In a rational society, the police would have interrupted her speech
        as surely as they would a display of obscenity (no socially
        redeeming value) -- though since this was SanFran the point may be
        moot.  Clearly therefore, the society is not rational, and condeming
        the protesters for not being civilized and polite (i.e. rational)
        is quite inappropriate. Cival disobedience has a long and stormy
        history; there have been a number of very cogent defences of it thru
        the years.

        Should the speech have been disrupted? I hope merely to persuade
        those who answer "NEVER!", to see that the proper answer must be
        couched in the reality of a POLITICAL, not rational society. For
        my own part I prefer to allow any obscenity in a volantary setting
        so I have no particular objection to Mz. Kirkpatricks particular
        public display in such a lecture.  Were she advocating the torture
        and maining of 6 month old infants to a group of psychotics, I
        would have to conclude that it was no longer a volentary setting,
        as the psychotics might fail to request permission from a suitable
        (e.g. mine) child.  You see, there is an extreme point which makes
        forcible interruption (cival disobedience) quite legitimate.

        DEBATERS BEWARE.  We are on a slippery slope here. Pick your ground
        and defend it, but don't spout shallow ideas like never interrupting.
        YOU just don't happen to be deeply and morally offended by what
        Mz Kirkpatric is saying. Sadly there MAY be a lot of psychotics in
        positions of power in this and other countries, and they will be
        listenning to her.  Freedom of speech is a fine principle, but
        the immorality of torture and death is much finer. I assume you agree.
        ----GaryFostel----