Things aren't going well in Connecticut.
CT college suspends student for aggressive questioning to Governor"As Connecticut patriots continue their fight to preserve their Second Amendment rights amidst a slate of new anti-gun laws enacted in the immediate aftermath of the shooting at Sandy Hook, one man is fighting his own battle to merely stay in school after he asked his governor tough questions at a public forum.
According to the Daily Caller:
A Connecticut community college suspended a student veteran for his aggressive questioning of Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy during a public forum, prompting a First Amendment advocacy group to condemn the college for its flagrant disrespect for free speech and due process.
The student, Nicholas Saucier, tried to get Malloy to answer questions about his support for gun control legislation, which has put Saucier’s ammunition manufacturing business in jeopardy. Saucier followed Malloy to his car after the governor finished speaking at a public forum at Asnuntuck Community College. The exchange took place in October of last year, and was captured on video.
Shortly thereafter, Saucier received notice from the administration that he was suspended on grounds that his “continued presence on campus would present a danger to the persons, property and/or academic process of the College.”
The student was officially charged with engaging in harassment and showing disrespect for Malloy, in violation of ACC’s student code. Administrators claimed that Saucier became increasingly hostile, called Malloy a “****ing snake,” and reached into his pocket for something that could have been a weapon. (It was actually a video recording device.)
The college attempted to persuade Saucier to plead guilty to the charges and undergo counseling. He refused, opting instead for a formal hearing. At the hearing, administrators refused to let him play his recorded video, which he argued would acquit him by showing that he did nothing wrong. Saucier was found guilty of all charges. His suspension was lifted, but any further trouble from him and he will be expelled, administrators said.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education has accused ACC of violating Saucier’s free speech and due process rights by disciplining him for speaking his mind and subjecting him to a sham trial.
“ACC’s myriad violations of Nicholas Saucier’s rights, effective rewriting of its conduct procedures, and failure to rectify its errors should give all Americans great concern,” said Peter Bonilla, director of FIRE’s Individual Rights Defense Program, in a statement.
The move by Asnuntuck Community College is not entirely surprising as academia as a whole has been hijacked by the radical left. However, colleges and universities were once dedicated to the promotion of free thinking and the free exchange of ideas; it would seem that asking tough questions would fit directly within the context of higher learning.
Saucier’s actions are not only acceptable, but are nearly a requirement of good citizenry. Asking our elected officials questions regarding their support for policies that affect us all is not only a right, but a responsibility of all who wish to engage in the democratic process.
http://www.tpnn.com/2014/04/04/veteran-suspended-from-ct-college-for-asking-governor-questions-about-new-anti-gun-laws/
