Protest This

CORRECTION: Dinesh D’Souza is coming on Wednesday, October 7th

Haley Koch is guilty. North Carolina’s statute regarding disorderly conduct in an educational institution states that “Disorderly conduct is a public disturbance intentionally caused by any person who: takes possession of, exercises control over, or seizes any building or facility of any public or private educational institution without the specific authority of the chief administrative officer of the institution, or his authorized representative; or refuses to vacate any building or facility of any public or private educational institution.”

It also says other damning things such as a person has committed a crime if they make “any utterance, gesture, display or abusive language which is intended and plainly likely to provoke violent retaliation and thereby cause a breach of the peace.” One could argue (I do) that Haley’s actions led to a brick being thrown through a window very close to where an aged professor was sitting with his wife.

Haley Koch is the girl on the left helping hold up the banner and singing like a spoiled child (specifically, look at the seconds around 1 minute 50 seconds):

A judge threw out her case yesterday. I admit that I am not a judge or a legal scholar, but the “UNC Protesters’ Defense Committee” (a group oddly composed of much of the SDS crowd) is only emboldened by this decision. Haley Koch, apparently a Morehead scholar, gets off without any discipline whatsoever. She is free to grab a speaker phone and ruin other people’s expensive plans for bringing speakers she disagrees with.

Not only is she not being disciplined, she is being rewarded. Chancellor Thorp is going to meet with her to discuss free-speech issues. Why? Chancellor Thorp should not legitimize this juvenile.

I know that I am very, very excited about upcoming conservative speakers such as the great Jonah Goldberg (who’s coming to the Student Union on Monday, September 28, 7pm – 9pm. You should all come, it’s free), and Dinesh D’Souza (who will be debating our own Bart Ehrman in memorial hall on October 7th; you really, really should be there!). And I also know that I do not want these events to be ruined by silly protestors as were YWC’s legitimate events.

Haley Koch should be reprimanded and not rewarded for her actions.