U. of Oregon Strips Patriotic Insignias from Vehicle After Complaint
by Jim Brown
January 28, 2005
(AgapePress) - A University of Oregon employee is expressing outrage after being forced to remove a "Support Our Troops" magnetic sticker from his maintenance vehicle. The employee claims his First Amendment rights are being squelched.University of Oregon delivery driver Peter Baker was ordered to remove from his truck a yellow-ribbon magnet that says "Support Our Troops," as well as an American flag magnet. The order from school vice president Dan Williams followed a complaint from a school employee who felt the magnets were a political statement. But Baker, an Independent who says he did not vote for either John Kerry or President Bush, says he was simply being patriotic.
Baker describes the University of Oregon as "a very liberal university" -- but the country is at war, he notes, and there are many ROTC students on campus. "I really felt it was important to let them know that there are people here who appreciate their service and that somebody's on their side," Baker says, "because a good portion of the students [here] hate Bush and a lot of the staff [do as well]."
The ROTC program at UO was established in 1919 and, according to the school's website, has produced the highest number of General Officers of all nonmilitary ROTC schools nationwide. Despite such a hallowed history, Baker sees a double standard on campus when it comes to free speech such as that demonstrated by his vehicle stickers. "It's just very degrading at a time when I think our country needs to support our government and our war effort," he says.
"These liberals [on campus] are not really liberals -- they're facists," he adds. "They're into free speech, as long as you say what they want to hear. And if it's something that the liberals don't want to hear, [they think] that's bad."
The UO employee says he is offended that the university permits the display of a Muslim star and crescent, a Communist flag, and newspaper pictures of President Bush with a Hitler mustache -- but not a "Support Our Troops" sticker.
According to a Cybercast News report, the issue is not the message of the stickers themselves, but a question of school policy. UO president Dave Frohnmayer released a statement on Wednesday saying, "State vehicles may not have any personal messages affixed to them." And the school, he said, supports the military's efforts.
"The University has many alumni, students, and staff serving in the military in Iraq and other places," he said. "Of course, we support them and have great concern for their well being, as we do for all U.S. troops."
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
