Blog Archive/May 2009

May 24, 2009

Liberty University Bans Democratic Club. But Is There a Silver Lining?

The late Jerry Falwell's Liberty University has banned the campus Democratic Party club. In a May 15 email, Mark Hine, the school's vice president of student affairs, informed the student organization that it can no longer use the university's name, hold meetings on campus, or advertise events.

Hine said the school is "unable to lend support to a club whose parent organization stands against the moral principles held by" the university, the AP reports.

Some may view the university's censorship as fascistic--yet another instance of the school making a mockery of its name, Liberty. But let's hope it's a sign of positive changes to come. Perhaps the school administration will next ban the campus' conservative club on the grounds that its values run counter to the nonviolent, egalitarian teachings of Jesus.

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May 2, 2009

Swine Flu Fever

What's worse--a possible wrath-of-God swine flu plague, or the chaos that fear of widespread extermination could create? Over at Salon.com, our very own Mary Beth Crain has the lead feature today, Pandemic Pandemonium, making the case for more reason and less panic. Remember the SARS scare in 2003? The avian flu panic of 2006? The world didn't end.

"As long as we wash our hands throughout the day, don't pick our noses, sneeze and cough in our elbow pits, take our Tamiflu and say our prayers," Mary Beth reassures us, "we just might come out alive."

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