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REPUBLICAN LAWYERS GROUP STANDS UP FOR COLLEGE CAMPUS RIGHTS
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Throughout California, the College Republicans are on the front lines of the fight to preserve the equal application of the First Amendment. We at the CRLA are committed to helping the College Republicans in this effort.
Recently, the Sacramento State University College Republicans invited Ward Connally to attend one of their meetings. Their purpose was to present an award to Mr. Connally. He is an alumnus of the school.
Leftist student groups protested outside prior to the meeting. Once Mr. Conally began his speech, these students forced their way into the meeting and disrupted the proceedings. Worse professors, advisors to the radical groups sponsoring the disruption, were present, and did nothing to stop the students.
After this incident, University administrators did nothing to discipline these unruly students. We at the CRLA, think that this situation is inexcusable. We are working with School Officials to prevent this from happening again. First Amendment rights are important. Republican students are entitled to the same First Amendment protections as their liberal colleagues.
Please read below the letter written by CRLA President Steve Baric and former CRP Chair Shawn Steel to the Dean of Cal State Sacramento
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May 15, 2007
Mr. Alexander Gonzalez President California State University, Sacramento 6000 J Street Sacramento, CA 95819
Dear Mr. Gonzalez:
We are writing this letter to you on behalf of the Campus College Republicans and all Americans who believe in the freedom of expression and freedom of association. This letter is to express our concerns regarding the events that occurred at the College Republicans meeting on May 1, 2007. The actions of students and faculty at this meeting raise grave concerns regarding the protection of the First Amendment at Sacramento State. These concerns are magnified by the fact that your administration has failed to take any steps to address these issues since that meeting.
As an educator, we would hope that you would appreciate the importance of the Rights of expression and association that are contained in the First Amendment. These fundamental rights are of the most sacred protected, in our Constitution. As Justice Brandeis so eloquently wrote:
"Those who won our independence believed that the final end of the State was to make men free to develop their faculties, and that, in its government the deliberative forces should prevail over the arbitrary. They valued liberty both as an end, and as a means. They believed that liberty to be the secret of happiness, and courage the secret of liberty. They believed that freedom to think as you will and to speak as you think are means indispensable to the discovery and spread of political truth; that without free speech and assembly, discussion would be futile…."
Sadly, liberty and freedom of expression and assembly were not on display at your university on May 1, 2007. That day, College Republicans sought to give an award to Mr. Ward Connerly. As an educator and Sacramento State Alumnus, they decided that he was an apt recipient for a lifetime achievement award. They informed your administration of the event and the speaker because they had concerns that there might be protests. However, inexplicably, your administration provided little if any security to ensure that the event would not be interrupted. The inadequacy of the security became evident when 60 or more student protesters, from political groups opposed to Mr. Connerly's views, were able to disrupt the meeting by force. Of particular concern, is the fact that faculty advisors for these political groups were present at the meeting and did nothing while student members screamed in Mr. Connerly's face and sought to terminate the meeting.
Traditionally, the right to express one's views without recrimination has been most cherished on our college campuses. However, all students must equally have access to the right to express themselves and assemble. Unfortunately, it appears that this is not the case at Sac State. The actions of the students and faculty on that day were disgraceful. However, what is equally disgraceful is the fact that the administration has done nothing since to address these issues. The student organizations involved in this disgraceful tirade have not be disciplined, the faculty advisors from these groups have not been provided any First Amendment sensitivity training and most concerning is that is that there has been no apology issued to the College Republicans and Mr. Connerly.
To address this serious infringement on First Amendment rights we make the following suggestions: (1) that these student groups be suspending from student activities for at least a year; (2) that the faculty members receive training on these important fundamental rights; (3) the University issue an apology to the College Republicans and Mr. Connerly; and (4) that a scholarship be established for College Republicans who wish to study the First Amendment.
We trust you understand the seriousness and these issues and we look forward to discussing these issues with you in the near future.
Sincerely,
Steven Baric, Esq. President, California Republican Lawyers Assoc.,
Shawn Steel, Esq. Past -Chair CRP, Co-Founder, CRLA
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