[Vision2020] RE: Kibbie Use & Rights

[Donovan Arnold]

Ted,

If the Aryan Nations, or any such said group were to attempt to rent the 
Kibbie Dome, the UI administration would have to do one of two things. One, 
prevent the renting of Kibbie Dome to everyone. Or two, rent the Kibbie Dome 
to them.

This case did in fact take place in Coeur d' Alene a few years ago. The 
Aryan Nations wanted to march down Sherman (the main downtown road). The 
City Council attempted to deny The Aryan Nations the right to march downtown 
while allowing other groups to do so. The ACLU sued the city and the Aryan 
Nations were allowed to march.

In Georgia the KKK wanted to adopt a highway so their name would be on a 
public highway sign. The Highway Department shut down the program and took 
all the names down instead of printing the name on the public sign. That was 
fair, it treated everyone equally.

So my advice to the University would be to change their policy so nobody 
could rent the Kibbie Dome for private use. The loss of revenue for the 
KIbbie Dome on the RV Home on Wheels event would not be worth the negative 
attention and or funding caused by a Nazi Regime marching in our Kibbie Dome 
and being played on ABC, NBC, and CBS for the world to see.

However, I would not support the position of denying a group their First 
Amendment rights. You treat everyone the same.

If Doug Wilson and Christ Church are so horrible a group as the Nazis, then 
the UI Administration should consider the ending of any leasing of the 
Kibbie Dome. But saying one group can meet there and another cannot on the 
bases of religion or political opinion is not legal and a violation of the 
Constitution. Shutting down the use of the building to non-athletic events 
is not. I would not violate the Constitution for sake of the Nazis, no.

If I had to ultimately decide between allowing the Nazis to march in public, 
or violate the a person's constitutional rights, I would choose to allow 
them to march. Even if it was Satan himself saying we should get rid of the 
US Constitution.

You got to believe in something. And equality for all is something I believe 
in, no matter what.

I hope I was clear, if not, let me know.

Take Care,

Donovan J Arnold

>From: Tbertruss at aol.com
>To: donovanarnold at hotmail.com, ophite at gmail.com
>CC: vision2020 at moscow.com, timo5277 at uidaho.edu
>Subject: Kibbie Use & Rights
>Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 01:58:47 EST
>
>
>Donovan et. al.
>
>I was discussing this issue today, and the scenario was suggested that if a
>self identified neo nazi racial supremacist group tried to rent the Kibbie 
>Dome
>for a weekend conference, regardless of any variable or constitutional 
>right
>or legal incentive to proceed, there is no way the U of I would allow this 
>to
>happen.
>
>If this is true, then the high minded rhetoric that regardless of what 
>Christ
>Church promotes and represents, such as women and gays as second class
>citizens, or pathetic prattle about the harmonious relationship between the 
>races
>under slavery in the USA, they have the legal right to use the Kibbie Dome, 
>is
>really NOT an unyielding position that the U of I would defend across the 
>board
>for all organizations.
>
>So the question then becomes one of political games and institutional bias
>regarding what would hurt the image of the U of I the most, not ultimate 
>moral
>or legal defense of any groups right, regardless of religion or politics, 
>to
>use the Kibbie Dome.
>
>Would you be as eager to defend a neo nazi racial supremacist group's use 
>of
>the Kibbie Dome as you are Christ Church's?
>
>If your principles are applied equally, you would be compelled to!
>
>Ted Moffett