MSU State News, others on Wichman / Conspiracy-Theory Rock

Shame on you, Indrek Wichman.

Come on, you didn't really send an offensive e-mail to a prominent student organization with the notion that it was going to be kept private — did you?

Well, you're saying you did, but that was a pretty irresponsible move for an MSU professor.

Seriously.

The MSU State News op-ed goes on to admonish him for a letter he wrote to them, and says that he's "lucky": Even if most people don't agree with your statements, the university can't and shouldn't punish you for exercising your freedom of speech.

Is it really free speech if he's using a university's email account and saying he speaks for "many, many, many" colleagues in the Mechanical Engineering deptartment?

There's some more details in this article from the Detroit News.

Wichman received a letter from MSU Provost Kim Wilcox informing him that the opinions he expressed were against the values of the university and that if he expresses similar views again, he must make clear that they are entirely his own, said Terry Denbow, the vice president for university relations.

Again: I think that if a professor had sent a similarly nasty letter off to a black student organization, he'd have been fired, not privately "served" via a letter from the university. (A pity my alternate time generator went on the fritz at the start of Plame-gate or I'd have better proof...)

Meanwhile, op-ed roundup:

* The Detroit Free Press completely misses the point of his letter.

* The Lansing State News drops the ball as well, getting an underhanded dig on the MSA in the process

* The American Daily doesn't miss the point, and agrees completely with its spirit and tone.



Also, from Crooks and Liars, we have this amusing cartoon. remember Schoolhouse Rock? This is Conspiracy Theory Rock.

(And since it has been edited out of re-runs of that episode of Saturday Night Live, it would seem it ain't just a cartoon...)