<p>Can someone please explain to me how it could happen that the official newspaper of a top university (Notre Dame) could print something like this? No one stops and wonders if it's a good idea before going to print?
Notre</a> Dame Student Paper Prints Cartoon Advocating Gay Bashing - Towleroad, More than gay news. More gay men</p>
<p>I’m glad the paper issued a thorough and unequivocal apology:</p>
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<p>I wouldn’t expect anything less from such a fine institution.</p>
<p>But as for the students and staff who allowed it to go to press…I’m speechless. It’s bad enough that it’s hateful, but it’s stupid, too. Mind-boggling.</p>
<p>I wonder if this got slipped in at the last minute after it had been reviewed by the editor in chief or whoever reviews before goingto print?</p>
<p>Personally I think this is awful but I’m not all that surprised. Sad to say that my nephew attends ND as have several of my kids’ classmates. Despite the image the school tries to project, from what I’ve seen, MANY students/staff have very conservative attitudes (not politically correct so this is downplayed).</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>that is not true…</p>
<p>That is unfair to claim that MANY students/staff at ND have attitudes that would support such a thing.</p>
<p>Being conservative has NOTHING to do with this cartoon. THAT notion is a stereotype.</p>
<p>sorry mom2collegekids, just MY personal experience. Your experience may be different.</p>
<p>As you stated, your personal “experience” is your nephew and “several” of your kids’ classmates. I think it’s a HUGE leap to extend that to “MANY” on a campus of 8,000 undergrads.</p>
<p>I’ve been on campus, attended games and have gotten to know and “hear” plenty of students’ comments and attitudes. I’m not here to argue. This is simply the feeling I’ve gotten over time. I didn’t say all the students felt this way but there does NOT seem to be much “acceptance”, but certainly some “tolerance”. But then again it’s a Catholic school. I say this coming from a family who has attended Catholic schools all the way up through college…OBVIOUSLY not all students would approve of this. I was saying I wasn’t surprised from the things I’ve heard ND kids say (and no, I haven’t heard my nephew say anything like this). I don’t believe this is an isolated sentiment as some of you want to imply. The cartoonist AND the ND paper thought it was acceptable UNTIL they were called out for it. </p>
<p>“I wonder if this got slipped in at the last minute after it had been reviewed by the editor in chief or whoever reviews before goingto print?”</p>
<p>I personally didn’t read the writer’s blog so I can’t say if he’s telling the truth, but there is talk that this is a watered down version of his original cartoon. If that’s true, the paper definitely was aware and approved this version. Apparently according to numerous sources, the original cartoon (and the revision) were posted on the cartoonist’s blog.
[PrideSource</a> - Notre Dame paper advocates LGBT violence](<a href=“Award-Winning LGBTQ+ News & Entertainment | Pride Source”>Award-Winning LGBTQ+ News & Entertainment | Pride Source)</p>
<p>But then again it’s a Catholic school. I say this coming from a family who has attended Catholic schools all the way up through college</p>
<p>Then you should know (as I know as also having attended Catholic schools for 12 years), that Catholicism would NEVER support such a cartoon or the suggested violence. EVER. Catholicism does not teach hate of homosexuals or anyone.</p>
<p>I was saying that in my experience, there is an environment of intolerance on ND’s campus. Apparently even the cartoonists responsible acknowledge this in their apology:</p>
<p>“We do, however, believe that something positive can come from this ugly mistake and hope that we, as members of the Notre Dame community, can take this as an opportunity to readdress the complex issues surrounding homosexuality and its treatment on our campus. Intolerance of homosexuality is a major problem on Notre Dame’s campus.”</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/viewpoint/the-mobile-party-apology-1.1011634[/url]”>http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/viewpoint/the-mobile-party-apology-1.1011634</a></p>
<p>Freedom of speach plays into this</p>
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<p>It might not teach it, but many Catholics have negative views of homosexuals. Apparently so do many kids at Notre Dame.</p>
<p>The story gets more incredible. </p>
<p>"The first version of the cartoon that wasn’t published was actually much worse…there were, in-fact, staff members who viewed an earlier version of this cartoon that used AIDS as the punchline. [instead of a baseball bat]. "</p>
<p>[Backlash</a> growing over controversial cartoon in ND student newspaper | WSBT - News, Weather, Sports South Bend | Local News](<a href=“http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/81818137.html]Backlash”>http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/81818137.html)</p>
<p>^^It’s pretty easy to turn negative views into hatred. The two are not separated by that much.</p>
<p>jerzgrlmom,
The original version was mentioned here also: [Backlash</a> growing over controversial cartoon in ND student newspaper | WSBT - News, Weather, Sports South Bend | Local News](<a href=“http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/81818137.html]Backlash”>http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/81818137.html)
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<p>That AIDS is a homosexual disease is so early 80s. I am almost positive the rate of AIDS among lesbians is less than that among heterosexuals. Also, AIDS dooesn’t make people go into a coma. It just shows the cartoonists are not only intolerant but also ignorant.</p>
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<p>Not exactly. The Observer is a publication of the University of Notre Dame, a private institution. The university can impose whatever limitations it wishes. The “freedom of speech” of the Constitution is a prohibition on government suppression of expression.</p>
<p>Freedom of speech? You must be kidding. (I had started a thread about this in the Election and Politics forum, since I didn’t see this one. Maybe some moderator could merge the two threads.)</p>
<p>I linked to the GLAAD article.</p>
<p>The apology is OK, but to compare this to what Harry Reid said is pretty repulsive. I don’t recall that he said anything about turning black people into vegetables with baseball bats. Or AIDS.</p>
<p>^^^^^^^^^^^</p>
<p>I <em>knew</em> that would happen. Inevitable. I just hope that “froomthesouth” isn’t a parent.</p>
<p>My kids went to catholic school for a long time. We are not Catholic. While there was definitely some issues before this, when S (now 19) was in 7th grade, the religion teacher told his class that all gays were going to hell. This is what they believe the bibe says. Son asked how she could possibly “know” that since she was alive. Without answer, se was sent to the principal for being insubordinate and I was called. We sat down and this was exact the story the teacher relayed. I was incredulous and asked… questioning your knowledge on the exact happenings of the after-life is insubordination? Yes. what the…?</p>
<p>His Aunt is gay. This was/is one of the closest relatives he has and she has been an incredible support to him - before and since. This day changed him forever AND he became a person very much against organized religion. He insists it is based primarily on the use of power and money over the weak and in need. It’s not that he doesn’t believe in God, but he does not believe in “church.”</p>
<p>All of this to say that in my experience over 13 years, I agree there is a lot of hypocrisy in the Catholic Church and do not doubt that this cartoon was approved several times before printing. And even if you think it witty in a turn of the phrase way, doesn’t mean it had a place in a newspaper.</p>
<p>Now I long for the days when only the football team made it an embarrassment to be an ND alum.</p>
<p>They HAD to add Sen. Harry Reid into their apology. “He’s bad, too, so that makes us not-so-bad.” Sheesh.</p>