22
      Opinion
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Cadre
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      °
      16
      March
      1999
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      candidate,
      the
      “horribly”
      offensive
     
     
      sign
      and
      the
      age
      of
      protest
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      KENT
      BRUYNEEL
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Gospel
      according
      to
     
     
      Milton
      Acorn
      .
      .
      .
      Oil
      fires
      on
     
     
      the
      sea
      wall...
      The
      “horribly
     
     
      offended”
      Jew.
      ..
      Fear
      and
     
     
      Loathing”
      on
      the
      moral
      high
     
     
      ground
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bless
      you
      Andrew
     
     
      Peppin,
      wherever
      you
      are.
     
     
      Bless
      you
      for
      a
      sense
      of
      hu-
     
     
      mour,
      of
      adventure;
      and
      a
     
     
      willingness
      to
      be
      interesting.
     
     
      Milton
      Acorn
      said
      that
      the
     
     
      best
      thing
      about
      PEI
      is
      the
     
     
      fact
      that
      every
      voice
      counts;
     
     
      well,
      Acorn
      never
      lived
      in
     
     
      these
      litigious
      reactionary
     
     
      times,
      where
      even
      an
      innocu-
     
     
      ous
      opinion
      about
      an
      inane
     
     
      subject
      will
      land
      you
      on
      the
     
     
      cover
      of
      the
      Provincial
      news-
     
    

    
     
      aper.
     
    

    
     
      suis
      And
      the
      great
      nude
     
     
      photo
      debate
      is
      not
      the
      first
     
     
      such
      incident.
      Citizens
      living
     
     
      near
      the
      waterfront
      com-
     
     
      plained
      about
      the
      noise
      dur-
     
     
      ing
      this
      year’s
      Canada
      Day
     
     
      celebrations
      eee
     
     
      we
      should
      be
      launching
      rock-
     
     
      ets
      of
      the
      Confederation
     
     
      Bridge
      and
      igniting
      oil
      fires
     
     
      around
      the
      sea
      wall
      to
      cel-
     
     
      ebrate
      Canada’s
      birthday,
      in
     
     
      this
      its
      birthplace)
      and
      they
     
     
      were
      featured
      on
      the
      cover
      of
     
     
      the
      Guardian
      too.
     
    

    
     
      Now
      this
      latest
      di-
     
     
      lemma.
      Should
      a
      person
      be
     
     
      allowed
      to
      write
      “Free
      Nude
     
     
      Photos”
      on
      a
      campus
      poster
     
     
      to
      garner
      the
      attention
      of
      an
     
     
      apathetic
      and
      mostly
      disinter-
     
     
      ested
      student
      body?
      Or
     
     
      should
      he
      be
      afraid
      that
      a
      few
     
     
      militant
      people
      will
      launch
      an
     
     
      angry
      protest
      because
      they
     
     
      are
      “horribly
      offended?”
      My
     
     
      God,
      horribly
      offended?
      The
     
     
      only
      thing
      horribly
      offensive
     
     
      at
      UPEI
      these
      days
      is
      the
     
     
      hockey
      team,
      and
      their
      sea-
     
     
      son,
      mercifully,
      is
      over.
     
    

    
     
      If
      the
      accused
      had
      ac-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tually
      given
      away
      said
      pho-
     
     
      tos,
      or
      if
      he
      degraded
      anyone
     
     
      with
      his
      signs,
      well
      then
      I'd
     
     
      be
      in
      agreement
      with
      the
      an-
     
     
      pry
      few.
      But
      that
      is
      not
      what
     
     
      as
      happened
      here.
     
    

    
     
      he
      problem
      with
      a
     
     
      place
      where
      every
      voice
     
     
      counts
      is
      that
      even
      the
      mo-
     
     
      ronic
      get
      to
      hold
      the
      micro-
     
     
      phone
      sometimes.
      Now,
      ad-
     
     
      mittedly,
      that
      is
      a
      situation
     
     
      that
      is
      far
      greater
      than
      en-
     
     
      forced
      silence,
      but,
      come
      on,
     
     
      horribly
      offended?
      The
     
     
      APEC
      disaster,
      where
      peo-
     
     
      ple’s
      eyes
      bled
      from
      the
      pep-
     
     
      per
      spray,
      is
      offensive.
      A
      sign
     
     
      saying
      “Free
      Nude
      Photos”
      is
     
     
      a
      joke,
      and
      those
      who
      think
     
     
      it
      is
      immoral
      have
      an
      ethical
     
     
      code
      so
      tightly
      wound
      they
     
     
      do
      not
      belong
      in
      a
      university.
     
     
      For
      it
      is
      hard
      to
      learn
      any-
     
     
      thing
      new,
      or
      grow
      into
      new
     
     
      directions
      of
      thought,
      when
     
     
      one’s
      feet
      are
      so
      firml
     
     
      planted
      on
      the
      moral
      high
     
     
      ground.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Trouble
      with
      Playboy.
      .
     
     
      .
      “Sexual
      McCarthyism”...
     
     
      Paint
      the
      Walls
      in
      a
      Martyr's
     
     
      Hue.
      .
      .Heavy
      Sedation
      Fol-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lowed
      By
      Massive
     
     
      Deprogramming
      .
      .
      .
      The
     
     
      Spirit
      to
      Fight.
     
    

    
     
      Censorship
      is
      really
     
    
   
   
    
     
      what
      we
      are
      talking
      about
     
     
      here.
      Across
      the
      bridge
      in
     
     
      Halifax
      there
      is
      a
      mad
      debate
     
     
      raging
      over
      the
      ethics
      of
     
     
      Playboy
      Magazine
      hosting
     
     
      parties
      in
      and
      around
      the
     
     
      campus.
      One
      can
      empathize
     
     
      with
      the
      protestors
      in
      that
     
     
      case.
      Playboy
      is
      a
      multi-na-
     
     
      tional
      corporation
      built,
     
     
      rightly
      or
      wrongly,
      on
      the
     
     
      backs
      of
      women.
      One
      can
      see
     
     
      the
      conflict
      that
      arises
      when
     
     
      the
      student
      body
      is
      forced
      to
     
     
      see
      bunny
      logos
      around
      cam-
     
     
      pus;
      they
      are
      clearly
      not
      add-
     
     
      ing
      anything
      to
      the
      area,
      save
     
     
      a
      good
      time
      or
      two.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      the
      other
      hand
      Mr.
     
     
      Peppin,
      by
      all
      accounts
      a
     
     
      smart
      and
      involved
      indi-
     
     
      vidual,
      seeks
      the
      office
      of
     
     
      Student
      Union
      President,
      a
     
     
      noble,
      if
      puzzling
      goal,
      and
     
     
      in
      order
      to
      do
      so
      places
      a
      few
     
     
      signs
      around
      campus.
      Now
      I
     
     
      am
      a
      firm
      believer
      that
      any-
     
     
      one
      seeking
      a
      role
      in
      student
     
     
      government
      should
      be
      heav-
     
     
      ily
      sedated,
      and
      summarily
     
     
      de-programmed.
     
    

    
     
      ut
      there
      are
      those
     
     
      who
      have
      a
      passion
      for
      lead-
     
     
      ership,
      and
      willingness
      to
     
     
      submit
      to
      a
      campus
      wide
     
     
      popularity
      contest,
      and
      they
     
     
      should
      be
      applauded,
      at
      the
     
     
      very
      least,
      for
      their
      bravery.
     
     
      Unless
      we
      want
      to
      force
      these
     
     
      poor
      saps
      into
      “meet
      and
     
     
      greets”
      in
      the
      various
      build-
     
     
      ings
      around
      campus,
      then
     
     
      signs
      are
      their
      only
      chance
      of
     
     
      winning
      some
      kind
      of
      name
     
     
      recognition.
      The
      need
      to
      cre-
     
     
      ate
      noticeable
      signs
      for
      one’s
     
     
      campaign
      is
      indisputible,
      and
     
     
      should
      not
      be
      argued
      by
      ei-
     
     
      ther
      side,
      so
      long
      as
      those
     
     
      signs
      do
      not
      demean
      or
      pro-
     
     
      liferate
      hat
      to
      anyone.
     
    

    
     
      One
      wonders,
      in
      a
      uni-
     
     
      versity
      that
      averages
      five
      per-
     
     
      cent
      voter
      turn-out,
      where
      all
     
     
      these
      impassioned
      voices
     
     
      have
      been
      hiding.
      Kudos
     
     
      again
      to
      Peppin;
      at
      least
      we
     
     
      now
      have
      some
      kind
      of
      de-
     
     
      bate,
      however
      sad
      and
      mis-
     
     
      guided
      it
      may
      be,
      in
      the
      realm
     
     
      of
      UPEI
      campus
      politics.
     
    

    
     
      It
      would
      seem
      that
      we
     
     
      have
      reached
      an
      age,
      which
     
     
      Harvard
      professor
      Alan
     
     
      Dershowitz
      calls
      “Sexual
     
     
      McCarthyism,”
      where
      the
     
    

    
     
      of
      a
      campaign
      and
     
     
      the
      content
      of
      a
      idate’s
     
     
      character
      are
      to
      the
     
     
      moral
      and
      ethical
      indigna-
     
     
      tion,
      and
      feigned
      outrage,
      of
     
     
      a
      pious
      few.
      The
      re-action
     
     
      one
      should
      have
      to
      a
      non-
     
     
      friendly
      sign
      is
      simple:
      cast
     
     
      your
      voice
      elsewhere,
      instead
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      a
      mad
      midnight
      run
      to
      the
     
     
      newspaper,
      where
      one
      can
      be
     
     
      famous,
      or
      notorious
      depend-
     
     
      ing
      on
      your
      point
      of
      view.
     
     
      The
      complaining,
      offended
     
     
      parties
      are
      missing
      some-
     
     
      thing
      so
      crucial,
      so
      obvious
     
     
      it
      pains
      to
      have
      to
      say
      it.
     
     
      Words
      are
      free,
      no
      one
      is
      be-
     
     
      ing
      exploited
      --
      there
      are
      no
     
     
      topless
      blondes
      on
      the
      cov-
     
     
      ers
      of
      late
      model
      mustangs
      --
     
     
      there
      are
      three
      words
      written
     
     
      on
      coloured
      paper.
      So
      tactful
     
     
      are
      the
      words
      that
      they
      do
      not
     
     
      even
      cite
      gender
      --
      no
      toying
     
     
      with
      the
      idea
      of
      submissive
     
     
      males,
      or
      dominant
      females;
     
     
      non-threatening
      words,
      like
     
     
      silent
      rain,
      if
      you
      don’t
      like
     
     
      it
      go
      inside.
      Instead
      of
      cry-
     
     
      ing,
      make
      your
      own
      sign,
     
     
      a
      the
      walls
      in
      a
      martyr’s
     
    

    
     
      ue
      and
      pretend
      you
      have
     
     
      something
      to
      fight
      for.
      That’s
     
     
      all
      that
      is
      left
      you
      when
      the
     
     
      facts
      are
      inescapable.
      Sur-
     
     
      round
      yourselves
      with
      able
     
     
      yes-men(-women)
      who
      cite
     
     
      the
      opponent’s
      every
      fault
      as
     
     
      proof
      of
      his
      nefarious
      inten-
     
     
      tions.
      Allow
      no
      room
      for
     
     
      creativity
      or
      free
      expression;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that’s
      for
      other
      people.
     
    

    
     
      The
      supreme
      court
      ba-
     
     
      sically
      says
      on
      obscenity,
      |
     
     
      can’t
      define
      it,
      but
      I
      know
      it
     
     
      when
      I
      see
      it.
      Well
      I
      saw
      the
     
     
      “free
      nude
      photos”
      and
      |
     
     
      didn’t
      think
      it
      was
      obscene,
      |
     
     
      thought
      it
      was
      a
      goof,
      a
      gag
     
     
      meant
      to
      gain
      attention.
      An
     
     
      it
      worked.
     
    

    
     
      Maybe
      the
      oy
      thing
     
     
      that
      can
      arise
      from
      this
      sad
     
     
      fiasco
      is
      an
      increase
      in
      voter
     
     
      turn-out.
      care
      the
      angry
     
     
      militants
      will
      burn
      young
     
     
      Andrew
      in
      effigy
      for
      his
      atro-
     
     
      cious
      crimes,
      or
      maybe
      they
     
     
      will
      all
      come
      to
      their
      senses
     
     
      and
      realize
      a
      sense
      of
      humour
     
     
      is
      at
      least
      as
      important
      as
      a
     
     
      sense
      of
      righteous
      indigna-
     
     
      tion.
      Either
      way
      Andrew
      can
     
     
      rest
      easy
      knowing
      he
      has
     
     
      made
      campus
      politics
      a
      little
     
     
      more
      interesting,
      and
      had
      the
     
     
      good
      fortune
      to
      offend
      the
     
     
      easily
      offended.
      It
      makes
      one
     
     
      wonder
      about
      a
      time
      when
     
     
      something,
      or
      someone
      truly
     
     
      offensive
      and
      hurtful
      comes
     
     
      along;
      will
      these
      disingenious
     
     
      militants
      still
      have
      the
      spirit
     
     
      to
      fight.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ARE
      YOU
      A
      GREAT
     
     
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