Once again the great misconception of the First Amendment—that it guarantees absolute "free speech" everywhere and anytime—is at play in the brouhaha engulfing University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill, a fiery Native American who's become a cause celebre since an obscure post-9/11 essay he wrote came to light.
In his ranting writ, Churchill slandered victims of the Trade Towers incineration as "little Eichmanns," alluding to the Nazi holocaust mastermind Adolf Eichmann. Don't try to figure his deranged logic.
Colorado Gov. Bill Owens wants Churchill fired. An equally vibrant chorus defends Churchill's vulgarism as free speech.
But neither the University of Colorado nor the mightiest publication is required to provide platforms for uncontrolled speech.
All that technically stands between Churchill and the university showing him the exit is his tenured job protection, if the school felt his instructional value, rather than what he said in his essay, isn't satisfactory.
The First Amendment protects Churchill's right to speak his mind on a street corner, if he doesn't impinge on freedom of others to flee his bombast.
As a practical matter, Colorado authorities should ignore Churchill's inflammatory "little Eichmanns" metaphor and focus more on his lecture hall performance.
Firing him for imbecilic pronouncements would lead to years of costly litigation and martyrdom in the world of malcontents.
Hot heads with nothing important to say always have a refuge in the First Amendment. Ward Churchill is another dunce whose métier is merely babble.
