Grizfan-24 said:
Anyone want a civil liberties lecture?
.... looks around the room....
Okay. No objections noted....
....Dons Jacket, takes fake pipe out of dresser....
To be abundantly clear, all of the Bill of Rights are protections from government incursion on those rights, most notably political speech and is not a carte blanche protection for citizens to do whatever they want. There isn't single piece of legal case law that gives citizens 100% freedom to do whatever they want to do. Not a single amendment is unabridged.
That is public and private. There are consequences or sanctions that can be meted out that hold people accountable for actions that are clearly in the best interest for safety, security and order. Both in time and in place. That determination isn't up to the person engaging in the freedom but the the person, group or entity receiving the impact of that person use of that freedom. We can have standards for behavior that significantly limit our personal rights that we are able to use with little infringement in the safety of our homes. Ask teachers or any other public service professional about professional standards clauses.
Some are pretty damn logical in regards to limitations. You can't murder and you can't steal. But that goes beyond the violation of a person's personal security. There are consequences for the words you use. In a time of war we call it sedition, and you can't say or write things in a public setting that are patently false about another person (slander or libel). They can get you fired and you can lose a scholarship.
This isn't a lesson that high school aged kid should learn the hard way but the consequences for making a statement that is in the public domain as his was, he was forced to learn those realities. Again as I noted before, he's been vastly more understanding about his role in the matter than some of those that are twenty or even thirty years older. I think he is going to learn, which is all that you can ask.
Harsh? Maybe. But entirely within the realm and power of football program, athletic department and University to sanction. Zac Crews understands this, but some obviously don't.
You think he is going to learn? I have never met the young man, but I do know people that know him. Let me explain what I know and not what you think. He made a huge mistake. He has apologized to the coaches. He apologized to the team. He apologized on Twitter and to the world. I understand he is very upset and fighting some ugly inner emotions. He has taken this on the chin very hard.
This isn’t constitutional law class. This is a high school senior that is simply trying to pay for his debt. He didn’t light a church on fire. He made a terrible joke.
As my son said yesterday and who is a current player, almost the entire team no longer cares. Just let him take some hard shots on the field and then everyone can move the “F” on!
If he decides to go somewhere else, then I wish him the best luck and hope this doesn’t follow him.