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UMass invitation of terrorist Levasseur is an outrage!
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Ray Luc Levasseur is a convicted terrorist and former leader of United Freedom Front, a radical anti-government group responsible for bank robberies, blowing up buildings, injuring people and the murder of state trooper Philip Lamonaco.
Ray Luc Levasseur has been released on parole and has been invited to speak at UMASS Amherst in an effort to understand why citizens take up arms and turn to terrorism. Head of special collections, Robert Cox had the following to say:
And for the trial in Springfield, which cost $10 million and resulted in Levasseur and two others being acquitted on seditious conspiracy, “I think it’s an historical trial and no matter how you look at that ... it is a major historical event in civic history.”
Cox said he believes that the university is one of a the few remaining places where “a very wide spectrum of perspectives can come together. We can have a good civil discussion on the single most difficult issue facing the United States.”
This presents two very real problems and both should be outrageous. First and foremost is the notion that we should allow people connected to terrorism to speak to our children. Youth of today is impressionable enough as it is and inviting anarchists is hardly the kind of information they need to be subjected to. More importantly, why should scumbags like Levasseur be given the opportunity and the forum to speak? This is a slippery slope that enables opportunities for other terrorists to be given similar forums in our nation's schools and colleges. Some argue that under the first amendment, Levasseur is allowed to speak his mind. Unfortunately the first amendment does not extend to those preaching hate and violence. In fact this is the one thing that freedom of speech does NOT enable and hiding under the Constitution int his particular case is laughable. Especially considering that the same people who run Umass Amherst would take any opportunity to slam the 2nd Amendment or allow federal government expansion well past it's constitutional limits. Using our founding document as the law of the land when it suits them best is insulting and woefully transparent.
Secondly, we are dealing with a public institution! This is a school funded by OUR money and it is the duty and responsibility of our highest politicians to prevent this from happening. It is comforting to know that today a resolution passed in Beacon Hill with almost unanimous consent condemning Umass for this invitation. Even one of the most liberal state legislatures can understand how painfully alarming Umass's actions are and in a rare moment of solidarity. Deval Patrick has spoken out against this action, but is seemingly powerless to stop it. Yet one fact remains, we are dealing with a public institution and both the governor and Attorney General can do whatever they wish. A good start can be massive reductions in salaries across the board for all the fat cats making hundreds of thousands a year and a 10% reduction in funding. This may seem harsh, but we need to reign in spending anyway and to balance our budget - apparently we also need to remind Umass who works for whom!
If not for the morality and the justice, then this should at least be stopped for the sake of Donna Lomanaco who has to endure and relive the horrors of losing her husband to a man who should still be in jail!!!
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