Dr. Michael J. O’Connell, Healthcare Consultant, Barrington, New Hampshire commented that a reportedly racist ‘chant’ caught on a privately made video at a large Oklahoma university fraternity has resulted in closure of the offending SAE fraternity on campus and expulsion of two drunken student ‘chanters’ a couple of months ago. This seemingly extreme action by the University of Oklahoma raises many questions….such as how does freedom of speech enter into this equation? See: https://michaeloconnellmdnh.wordpress.com/2015/10/27/freedom-of-speech-2/

1. Freedom of speech???
Dr. Michael J. O’Connell, Healthcare Consultant, Barrington, New Hampshire commented that a
reportedly racist ‘chant’ caught on a privately made video at a large Oklahoma university
fraternity has resulted in closure of the offending SAE fraternity on campus and expulsion of two
drunken student ‘chanters’ a couple of months ago. This seemingly extreme action by the
University of Oklahoma raises many questions....such as how does freedom of speech enter into
this equation?
Speech, regardless of how repugnant, is generally protected by the constitution after all. Does
the fact that alcohol was involved have any relevance? I am told folks are disinhibited by
alcohol, they may even have sex, is sex a crime between two consensual but drunken adults? The
fact that the chant occurred in a private setting, is that important? Geez. Private. Can’t folks do
most anything in private so long as it hurts no one?
Amazing how every remark about recently hypersensitized blacks, even slightly negative ones,
are scrutinized by the racism police. Where are the rap police? The lyrics of much rap music
condones rape, even incest, and encourages liberal use of the “N” word, yet rap and rap artists
somehow escape most any level of scrutiny. Those who are so bold as to portray the Obamas as
characters from the Planet of the Apes are hunted down as criminals, yet no such effort was
engaged when millions circulated objectionable (but admittedly kind of amusing) images of
George W. Busch evolving from a primitive ape. Why wasn’t that criminal if a private video is?
Seems speech crime is somewhat arbitrary, to be carted out and punished when it extends a
political agenda. Hmmm…