9/15/09

Intolerance at SMU Re-Dux

The students' union at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, hosts a 'society fair' each fall, the purpose of which , is to give their members the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the various student groups on campus. This year's event was marred by the theft of ALL the materials from the 'Students For Life' display.

It may seem like a small thing, but looking around society today, I'm pretty sure its indicative of an underlying problem with veracity. Liars are intolerant. The truth is an inconvenience they cannot bear.

Here is a letter from a student regarding the unfortunate disruption of the student event :
Crime & Drama at the Fair - Students For Life:
Last Thursday at the SMU Society Fair, one small display was targeted. Someone secretly watched the table, and at the first opportunity, tore down the sign, and stole clip-boards sign-up sheets, pens, and personal documents. You might be thinking... what could possess someone to go to such extreme (not to mention illegal) lengths to prevent students from seeing, hearing or thinking about something? It’s a mystery to me, and I was manning the display, but maybe it was the name that set them off...
Name: “Students For Life”.
Right... the same as the name of the article, and since you’re reading this it doesn’t seem to be as offensive to you as it was to the thief. On the other hand, maybe it was the idea behind the group that was so terrifying and offensive...
Founding Principal: “Every human life has equal value”

Uh... that’s pretty much of the foundation of civil society. Not scary stuff. Maybe the society was planning dangerous and offensive activities of some sort. What is the society going to do?...

Planned Activities: 1. Come together as a group.
2. Provide volunteer opportunities.
3. Discuss value-of-life issues.

I take it you’re still reading, and have somehow managed to avoid destroying and /or stealing anything. You may even want to consider participating in some way down the line. We aren’t completely up and running, but if you send an email with your first and last names to smu.studentsforlife@gmail.com we’ll give you a heads-up when we’ve got something on the go. Students are busy people, so participation will be on an event-by-event basis. Show up when you can, and make Saint Mary’s University (and the world) a better place.

Note: Students who have already signed up are asked to re-submit their names by email.

Thank you for your time,
Paul Mullen
SMU student & member of Students For Life


The usual suspects (see this post on SMU's 'free-speech' travails last winter) were reminded by campus police ahead of time to follow 'rules of good behaviour', sat themselves directly beside the 'Students For Life' table, and left as soon as the display had been stolen. Witnesses say that as soon as Paul Mullen had stepped away a few feet to the trashcan, a man in a 'hat' came and took everything and left. Apparently he had been waiting for his chance!

Mr. Mullen has a very good point in his letter. What exactly is so disturbing and scary about 'Students For Life'? Can it be that the mere idea that everyone have access to the truth, is so threatening to some that they can't allow it? Can people really be rationalizing their actions this way? Knowing that a group exists that cares whether babies, elderly, handicapped and...well, everyone, lives or dies, is REALLY a threat to ...whom?

To liars. Only those protecting their own lies are threatened by the truth.

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