Letters & Opinion
Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor:
On May 1, 2008, I removed the crosses from The Pointers for Life display. I felt that this display was disrespectful, and for the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point to allow this kind of display in the confinements of an educational setting was more than wrong.
There are a number of reasons for which I took it upon myself to remove these crosses (I did not destroy any of them nor did I cut any of their signs). After speaking with several students pertaining to this display on April 30, 2008, I was informed that a few other groups on campus were being questioned regarding their involvement in the construction of this display. The responsible organization was later asked to put up a sign that identified them. My understanding is that any student organization reserving spaces on campus must do this.
The Pointers for Life organization, has come before the Student Government Association and asked for my resignation, which suggests that I am more than a mere student on this campus, but someone who should be held to different standards.
The Pointer for Life’s grievance against me as a UW- SP student senator is that I was not representing the student body. On the contrary, many students agree with my actions. The fact is that Pointers for Life’s real motivation to demand my resignation is based on our opposing views about abortion. Further, I was not acting in the name of UW-SP Student Government Association, but as an individual who believes one person’s right to freedom of speech stops when it infringes on another person’s right to a secular education.
Sincerely,
Roderick King
UW-SP Students, Senators and Faculty:
May 1, 2008, The Pointers for Life had an unfortunate message of disrespect and intolerance displayed to them. As some of you may or may not know, the Pointers for Life held a Cemetery of the Innocents cross demonstration on the West lawn of the Health Enhancement Center protesting the 4,000 deaths caused by abortion every day in the USA.
The display had been vandalized the night before with signs and crosses being slashed and broken. Several members from the Pointers for Life were repairing the display around 11:00 a.m. when a group of displeased students confronted them. The students appeared to be led by student senator Roderick King. The students began to yell and debate the abortion issue with The Pointers for Life members and asked who authorized the protest. The students were informed by The Pointers for Life that the space was reserved with University Conference & Reservations and that Protective Services should be notified with any concerns.
Senator King and three other students began to walk up and down the rows and take crosses from the ground and toss them away. Protective Services were notified immediately and the students were told to stop and wait for Protective Services to arrive. King and the other students continued to take out hundreds of crosses, even though they were being told to stop by a Protective Services officer. To see video of this, visit this link on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=t5NeLyMZUYM .
The Protective Services officer stopped the other students from continuing to vandalize the display and most of them left when the officer showed up. The other students had broken one cross while taking them out of the ground.
Senator King, however, did not stop. He said, “The freedom of speech does not cover these signs and symbols.” It took the threat from the Protective Services officer of having to pay for the vandalism that finally got Senator King to stop.
At this time, The Pointers for Life were setting up the crosses that had been torn out of the ground and the reporters began to interview senator King. Senator King had no knowledge of the policies of the university and began to tell The Pointers for Life that the display must show the sponsor’s name (even though this was incorrect). Senator King also stated that the demonstration was a physical barrier and that the space could not be reserved (also incorrect).
Protective Services got the confirmation from Pointers for Life to issue him a citation (which was not given to him at that time for fear that he would become more hostile).
Bob Tomlinson, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, had come over and apologized to the Pointers for Life for the disrespect and vandalism from these individuals. Katie Kloth and Erica Wardle came to the display with a few other student senators and clearly defined the policies and helped calm the situation. Kloth was very knowledgeable and knew that senator King had acted inappropriately and irrationally. She told him that the policies that he was thinking of only applied to the Dreyfus University Center.
The Pointers for Life gladly put up a sign sponsoring the event and senator King left the display.
Senator King misinformed newspapers of the campus policies, acted with disrespect and fury against a campus organization because of his personal emotions, and vandalized a peaceful protest.
The Pointers for Life submitted a complaint to Student Government Association at Thursday’s (May 1st) senate meeting and recommend that Senator King resign or be disciplined appropriately under Article Seven, Section Seven of the SGA Constitution.
We are very displeased with the actions of senator King and would like to thank Bob Tomlinson, Kloth and Wardle for their knowledge and help with this embarrassing situation for student government.
Sincerely,
Jackie Krzykowski
Pointers for Life President
See previous issuses of the PointerOnline!