Friday, March 14, 2008

Censorship at Saddleback College?

From the March 12 edition of the Lariat (the SOCCCD's student newspaper): College censors musical "Reefer Madness:

Lariat Editorial Board

.....The 1968 Federal Flag Desecration Law criminalized the act of flag burning when it was passed by congress. The legislation was a result from anti-war demonstraters who burned our flag in protest of the Vietnam War.
.....[Though] The act is extremely appalling, it is protected, by our first amendment rights and the freedom of speech.
.....Expression in art forms is also protected by our constitution. Music, or a scene from a play would fall under this protection.
.....In Saddleback College's musical, "Reefer Madness," which closed over the weekend, a scene was removed because it involved the burning of the U.S. Flag in a desecrating manner.
.....Although this was only a projection of the flag being burned, it was still deemed inappropriate by school officials and was ordered to be removed from the final production.
.....The administration of the school didn't have a premise to really demand this censorship. The flag wasn't ever really burned, it was just an illusion created by projection.
.....Even if the flag had been burned it is protected by the burners freedom of speech.
.....In this case the freedom was not about the flag-burners beliefs, rather the expression in art forms. The college's production was an expressive art.
.....While the musical is based on smoking marijuana, the last thing an administrator needs to do is worry about the projection of an American Flag being burned. It is a play, and plays are often filled with adultery, crime, or really anything that could be found offensive to anyone.
.....In this county, we are all too accustomed to the horrible act of censorship. With the unfortunate FCC, censored material is something we as Americans experience too much. Compared to other prominent nations, such as Germany and England, censorship is much more rampant in the U.S.
.....We rarely hear unnecessary bleeps, or see unnecessary blurs in foreign countries, that is, if we do at all.
.....If the reason we use censorship is to protect our society, morals and values, it would make more sense to stop it at its root, rather than smother expressive art forms that are doing their part to motivate and stimulate the public.
.....The musical was a satire focusing on education and awareness, and the burning the flag would have only fueled the message "Reefer" promoted about governments telling people what to think and how to act.
—Lariat Editorial Board

--NOTE FROM DtB: I don't usually say such things here, but some of our readers are IDIOTS. I'm sorry, but it's just got to be said. See COMMENTS. -CW

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did anyone from Dissent the Blog actually attend a performance of Refer Maddness? Or were you too busy to actually know what you are writing about? I attended a performance and you are not on track.

Come on...if you are going to "report the facts", shouldn't you know what they are? Even fools like Ebber and what's his name go to the movie before they render their silly opinion. This performance ran for three or four weeks, since you were so interested, why didn't you attend a performance?

What is going on at Dissent the Blog that you will take pot shots without knowing what you are talking about?

This is becoming a routine. You sit back and teach and take pot shots at those who attempt to do something else.

Dissent readers, be aware, Dissent the Blog is out of touch. Real journalists must attend performances and verify their facts.

These guys don't do either. They just blather.

Anonymous said...

Great post, 8:57.

Anonymous said...

Maybe I missed it...but didn't this story come from the student newspaper and not from the Dissenters?

If not I apologize for my lack of comprehension. But if I'm right, 8:57 might want to make sure they do their own spot of homework before chastising.

There is some irony in this one, huh?

By the way, anyone else see the future of the SOCCCD in the Georgia high school story in the LA Times today? "Georgia students ponder future as schools court disaster".

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-clayton14mar14,1,3309316.story

Roy Bauer said...

I am repeatedly amazed at how poorly some people read. This post presents an editorial by the Lariat. It does not present the writings of anyone at Dissent.

The post started with this: From the March 12 edition of the Lariat (the SOCCCD's student newspaper): College censors musical "Reefer Madness:

Lariat Editorial Board


—I just don't know how to be clearer about authorship than that.

Anonymous said...

And besides! The Lariat editorial doesn't take potshots at the play! It criticizes officials who censored it!

Who are these idiots?

Anonymous said...

8:57,

Who put their foot in their mouth? You should read what the dissent said before opening your mouth and attacking people.

Anonymous said...

You know what's really sad, 8:57? How much time you put into your comments, which you surely thought were very clever.

Anonymous said...

re 8:57's multiple "pot shots" about Reefer Madness:

hee hee hee

ha ha ha

giggle

snort

Anonymous said...

Who were the "officials," and what gave them the authority to censor?

Were they Republicans, perhaps?

Anonymous said...

I don't know the details, but I do know that the production was directed by Mr. Patrick Fennel, a fellow known for crossing lines of decency. Evidently, some of his colleagues were generally horrified by the play, but not because of the flag-burning.

Don't know who freaked about the video of the burning flag.

If I send the board a video of me denouncing them, does that count?

Anonymous said...

"pot shots" - lol!

Perhaps a reading class is in order for Ms. or Mr. 8:57.

It's obvious that the DISSENT editors reprinted an editorial from the student paper! Maybe Mr. or Ms. 8:57 had imbibed some reefer or some moonshine?

DISSENT does pretty good, all things considered - this reader has no complaints.

Happy Spring Break everyone!

Anonymous said...

Was the "official" who made the fuss Lise Telson? If so, let her get back to her real job-- of "helping maintain" (shall we say?) grade point averages of Student tean athletes ;)

Anonymous said...

I was asking myself the same thing. Where do these idiots come from who post somehow find this Blog to post on? I can understand people who can comprehend what's going on w/in the district's & the players, but these other little Neanderthals. Wonder if Fuentes' little buddies from the Young Republican Club, & YAFFIES have gotten a hold of this link, so they post really stupid things. It's the immaturity that irks me. Clearly these people belong in the "Recycle the stupid" program. Just chop off their heads b/c they aren't using their brains for anything useful anyway.:-)

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...