From: aj498@yfn.ysu.edu (Jonathon D. Haskett)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: First Amendment, Who Needs It?
Date: 10 Jan 1994 19:34:08 -0500
Organization: Youngstown State/Youngstown Free-Net
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Here is an interesting passage and quotation I came 
across which bears on the issue of the protection of the 
right to free expression and women's studies.

From: "Guilty if charged" by Richard Bernstein, 
New York Reveiw of Books 1/13/94  V 41 No 1&2.

"...In the spring, the executive committee of the 
American Association of University Professors at 
UNH came out against the draft policy on sexual 
harrassment being promoted by Burns-DiBiasio, 
arguing that it would violate the First Amendment 
and academic freedom. This prompted Barbara White, 
an associate professor of women's studies, to 
circulate a letter to several campus organizations. 
It said in part:

"The AAUP, indeed, academia itself, has traditionally 
been dominated by white heterosexual men and the 
First Amendment and Academic Freedom (I'll call 
them FAF) have traditionally protected the rights of 
white heterosexual men. Most of us are silenced 
by existing social conditions before we get the power 
to speak out in any way where FAF might protect us. 
So forgive us if we don't get all teary-eyed about FAF. 
Perhaps to you it's as sacrosanct as the flag or the 
national anthem; to us strict construction of the First 
Amendment is just another yoke around our
necks.

Professor White is coordinator of the women's studies 
program at UNH, and one wonders how she manages 
to hold a position of such apparent influence at a 
tax-supported state institution even as she is silenced by
existing social conditions. "

**********************************************

I think this quotation is further evidence that Karen 
Lehrman's article "Off Course" in Mother Jones) was 
not an exaggerated, dishonest, or uninformative report. 
I think she showed courage and high degree of 
intellectual honesty in her piece. 

In my opinion Ms. White should examine the 
consequences of her position. Her disdain of the First 
Amendment squares quite well with Catherine 
MacKinnon's ideas, which have been adopted in 
Canada. The net effect is that these hypothetically 
silenced when (one of whom is published by Harvard 
University), have contributed to the actual silencing 
of numerous women (and men) whose works are 
banned in Canada. Numerous Feminist bookstores in 
Canada have reported that some work they had 
ordered had been seized by customs. Maybe 
Ms. White and Ms. MacKinnon have no need of 
the First Amendment, why should they, their opinions 
recieve institutional support and enforcement, but 
many others are not so fortunate and need the protection 
of the First Amendment to be heard.

Jonathan Haskett




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