Many articles have been written about the March issue of The Insurgent and its attack on Christianity. However, they are mostly one-sided in favor of the cartoons. Unfortunately, most people in favor of the cartoons are ignorant of the real issue. This issue is not under any circumstances an issue of free speech. This issue is about funding and funding alone. It never was about free speech, and nobody is trying to silence The Insurgent.
A group of students from the St. Thomas More Newman Center noticed something very odd about The Insurgent following the March issue. Although it is a student paper very loosely affiliated with the University, it does receive its office space and most of its funding from our student fees. The students of the on-campus Catholic church decided that it was unacceptable for them to have to pay the bills for The Insurgent to attack their faith or any others. Because The Insurgent is funded with required student fees, it should be held to higher standards than a privately run paper.
Being a self-proclaimed haven of tolerance and diversity, the University cannot allow student funds to fall into the hands of hate mongers. The Insurgent has entered into the trade of buying and selling hate. The “success” of the March issue, which the staff bragged about to the media, was manifest in the hurt and pain caused toward Christians, and in discouraging future Christians from attending the University. That is not the direction a progressive and diverse university should be headed, and if it is, I will fight in court as long as is needed to keep from paying for it.
Jethro Higgins
University student