Miami Student

Issue date: 3/6/07 Section: Editorials

Media Credit: Eric Frey

Kent State University Associate Professor Julio Pino has been accused of administering a jihadist Web site that is supportive of terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda and Palestinian suicide bombers, and describes Osama bin Laden as a hero for the jihadist cause. These allegations have not been substantiated, Pino has chosen neither to confirm nor deny involvement with the Web site and many of the specifics of the case remain unknown. The Miami Student editorial board applauds Kent State University for maintaining an academic environment where a professor's right to express unpopular viewpoints is protected, and believes that at this point in time, professor Pino should not be punished over simple allegations.

As a tenured professor, Pino is protected from the public's reaction to the unpopular and alternative opinions he may hold. Professors, regardless of their political beliefs, should be able to express their viewpoints freely and without fear of reprisal from the university. Because of the nature of the allegations, Kent State could very well have taken preemptive action against Pino - however,the university's restraint exemplifies support for an uncensored academic atmosphere.

But while diverse points of view at a college should be sought after and cherished by university administration and students alike, a line is crossed when those views become actions which aid or abet organizations or individuals that carry out acts of violence. Academics should be careful in promoting political agendas that call for continued violence, especially against civilians.

Mike Adams, a criminal justice professor at University of North Carolina-Wilmington, discovered the alleged blog that Pino may have administrated, which is called Global War. And while that blog contained viewpoints that many Americans, including Adams, may take issue with, the matter is fundamentally one of free speech. Yet, it should also be remembered that professors act as ambassadors of their respective universities, which they represent when they are at speaking engagements, quoted in the media or cited for their expertise. For these reasons, it is difficult to detach Pino and his personal views completely from Kent State - whatever those personal views may be. Professors must be mindful of this, and attentive to their role as a both thought provokers and university representatives to students and the public.

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