Christopher Hitchens banned from speaking at Air Force Academy

[The Night Owl]

Christopher Hitchens shares his godless views with Air Force cadets, even if he can't appear on campus
by Anthony Lane

A dozen Air Force Academy cadets listen silently as Christopher Hitchens, the internationally known writer, pundit and atheist, starts speaking Monday evening.

Hitchens mentions a just-publicized video of the United States military's top chaplain in Afghanistan advising soldiers in Bagram on how to convert Muslims to Christianity, explaining it's their duty to "hunt people for Jesus."

"Good people are going to get killed because of this stupidity," Hitchens predicts in crisp, Oxford-inflected English.

...

Hitchens regularly fills large lecture halls across the country, but he seems unruffled by the strangeness of speaking at a campus Freethinkers meeting on the patio of a northwest Colorado Springs restaurant. The cadets, warned by Academy officials that Hitchens would not be allowed to lecture on campus, quietly arranged a more intimate gathering publicized only by e-mails and word of mouth.

...

http://www.csindy.com/colorado/secret-celebrity-guest/Content?oid=1355300

[CanonRay]

1. Aren't they fighting for freedom of speech?

[aquart]

2. Nuh uh. This is a crusade.

They're fighting for the freedom to convert.

[atreides1]

4. Not so much

The US military fights on the orders of a civilian government that is beholden to its corporate masters. The Constitution is only used by scoundrels when it furthers their own agenda, for the most part.

The oath given to the US military is nothing more then words and has very little meaning to the majority who wear the uniform. They could raise their rights hands and repeat the recipe for Toll House cookies and it would have the same meaning.

[Buzz Clik]

5. Maybe, but there is no pretense of free speech at the military academies.

[Wapsie B]

6. Ask any Elks Club member. It's the flag that comes first, not the Constitution.

[saigon68]

8. They are Puppets to their Corporate Masters

Academy graduates feed at the DEEP RICH PUBLIC TROUGH

[Winterblues]

21. I take it you have never been in the Military

GI stand for Government Issue, IOW Property. You have no "rights" you do only as you are told..

[14thColony]

24. That's a bit of an oversimplification

Military personnel may exercise/enjoy the protection of every single right enumerated in the Bill of Rights, but these rights can be curtailed in certain circumstances in pursuit of good order and discipline, or to maintain the political impartiality of the military, etc.

As one example, a military member can attend political rallies, be a member of a political party, volunteer on his/her own time to campaign for a candidate, or donate to a party/candidate. He/she simply can't do any of this in uniform or while overtly identifying himself/herself as a member of the military, since this could be perceived as official endorsement.

[heppcatt]

3. I thought the military liked neocons

Guess atheist neocons are not accepted?

[Junkdrawer]

7. I wouldn't expect that Hitchens would be welcomed at Oral Roberts Univ. either...

Increasingly, this is becoming the same thing... :(

[Joanne98]

9. The christian fifth column has to be expelled from the air force.

[annabanana]

10. Not too surprised.. Air Force is Armed Fundy Central. .

Not happy about it.. but not shocked. I am looking forward to enforcement of the law.. someday.

[lame54]

11. actually he wasn't banned - they just don't allow alcohol on the base

[The Night Owl]

14. LOL! {EOM}

[libnnc]

16. DUzy

[Ignis]

23. *rimshot*

As a speaker, Hitchens is an outstanding drunk.

[pkdu]

12. Airforce Academy & Colorado Springs are "Fundie-central"..I'm surprised he found a restaurant that

would let him speak on their patio. Oh , and 11 of the 12 attendees were likely there to report back on who really attended. :tinfoilhat:

[UTUSN]

13. It's Saint Sister Teresa's miracle revenge!1 n/t

[marshall]

15. It sounds like he was speaking on campus

Not in an official capacity, but he seems to have been a guest of a few students.

I wonder if the cadets will be up for reprimands, or if this type of informal gathering is a loophole.

[olegramps]

17. How about shutting down all of the military academies?

Let the universities educate them and provide them with a more balanced education. Some of the most successful officers are products of the ROTC program including General Petraeus. What can future officers learn in a military academy that can't be taught in a university except turning them into unthinking robots. McCain is a prime example of their failure to produce a superior product.

[Historic NY]

18. He'll do anything for a drink.

[snake in the grass]

19. As I understand it...

...the Air Force Academy is firmly in the hands of christianist zealots. Considering their level of fanaticism, I'm surprised they didn't call for Hitchen's citizenship to be revoked...or worse.

[ensho]

20. kick

nt

[barbtries]

22. is it just me

or is the air force perhaps the worst of all the military branches when it comes to institutionalizing evangelical christianity?

[14thColony]

25. I guess I'm sheltered

I've seen very little of it so far.