Unconstitutional and Unprofessional

 

"Welcome to "Chris Armstrong Watch." This is a site for concerned University of Michigan alumni, students, and others who oppose the recent election of Chris Armstrong - a RADICAL HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVIST, RACIST, ELITIST, & LIAR - as the new head of student government."

This is what Michigan Assistant Attorney General, Andrew Shirvell has posted on a public blog about Chris Armstrong, University of Michigan's current student assembly president.

Armstrong was elected Spring of 2010, and in April of 2010, Shirvell started the hate speech on his blog against the election of Armstrong. Calling him a radical homosexual activist, racist, elitist and liar is not only implying false accusations against him, it's down right hate speech. 

I'm currently enrolled in a Media Law class where we are learning about rights and court cases. Hate speech as well as fighting words are not included in the protection of speech under the 1st Amendment. You'd think that Shirvell would have done some research, especially as a U of M alum before he started this blog. Doe v. University of Michigan found the content-based speech codes of public universities are unconstituional.

"It is an unfortunate fact of our constitutional system that the ideals of freedom and equality are often in conflict. The difficult and sometimes painful task of our political and legal institutions is to mediate the appropriate balance between these two competing values." — Judge Avern Cohn, in Doe v. University of Michigan, 1989. Source.

As I type this blog entry at 5:52 p.m. on September 30, 2010, in the middle of looking at Shirvell's Blogger page, the public access was suddenly denied. I was, however, able to keep the information from his very first post - which explains what the blog is about. And as of that date, his profile views were over 15 thousand - and for most Blogger users who are aware of profile views, that doesn't necessarily mean that's how many his actual blog had - which means, the hate blog had many more views than 15 thousand.

Although with the image produced on the page, I don't think much further information needs to be explained to let readers know Shirvell's blog is completely inappropriate on so many levels. 

(This image only shows half of the screen shot.)

Besides the fact Shirvell is a grown man and should know better than to create such libelous accusations about a college student, it doesn't help his image by being a state official. Armstrong is in college. What sort of relevance does Shirvell find that should ever allow him to belittle and spread hate upon a college student?

He appeared on Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN on Sept. 29, 2010 to try and explain himself and Cooper completely ripped him apart. Shirvell tried to explain it was a tactic in a political campaign to sway people from supporting him. Well, as Cooper pointed out - the campaign happened last year, he's already in office and for crying out loud he has no relevance to any national party. I'll say it again - he's in college! He is not so important to create an entire blog about. He's trying to spread the word about the gay community and be a rights activist. Since when did doing that ever become a criminal act?

Just listening to him in the interview is irritating. He is ignorant and an idiot. He doesn't know what he is talking about and is completely obsessed with ruining the college student's life. With over 15 thousand views in five months, I just want to know why it took this long for the blog to reach the presses.