Don't Mess with Firefly! How SciFi Fans Made a Campus Safe for Free Speech (feat. Neil Gaiman)

[malachitx]

Yeah, but it's our Constitution. So give us our rights!

[emmapeel66]

If someone tries to shoot you, you shoot him right back !

Browncoats I love you !

[JonRoland1787]

Yes, bring back Firefly, or sequels to Serenity, for which I have an alternate ending:

Operative: "I didn't order my men to stand down to save you. I did it to save them. River would have killed them all. There are now two great powers in the 'Verse. The Parliament and the crew of Serenity. They are headed for a showdown, and I honestly don't know which will win."

I want to see that showdown.

[JewMyFro56]

It may not be on fox, but mark my words. There will be more firefly. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not in ten years, but there will be more. There isn't a power in the 'verse that can stop it.

[robertonduty]

I think it's interesting to note that the biggest "speech police" and "thought police" are almost always "liberal"... the people who constantly promote the ideas and ideals of "progressivism". No need to look past any campus or Occupy barrista with a megaphone to see and hear what that means

[sherri99516]

Excellent video about just how important it is to defend free speech because if you don't stand up for free speech, you won't have it! Kudos and much respect for Neil Gaiman! He's a hero in my book. Hey, I remember Firefly. Yes, its a pretty decent sci-fi series, and I always wondered why it was canceled. 

[himemiyaanthy25]

@davebo357 i went to that school for awhile. they do give everyone backpacks with the school name on them at registration

[NotMissSunshine]

5:02 "It was a game changer". Don't you mean "It was a Gaiman changer"?

Ba-dun-ch.

[Joesolo13]

The only people who would'nt "feel safe" from either of these posters are alliance soldiers, and Fascists. Neither of whom SHOULD feel safe.

[PogieJoe]

Brilliant!

[suryalinaten10]

BROWNCOATS CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP.

[audionautix]

It's an honor to be a part of this video. Thank you for using my music. I love "Firefly" and Free speech as well!

[DAdragonSPI]

Because everyone knows that some random professor at a Wisconsin college is just going to murder them for looking at a poster. Logic of idiots, seems legit.

[AndythePervert]

Criminal charges for putting up a poster???????????????

A quote from a TV show is a 'threat'?????

[williamsstephens]

@SGlitz: Like most conservative morons, you obviously don't understand what free speech is. You are free to make idiotic statements; and we are free to call you an idiot.

[sidawaytony]

Six people voted for the Alliance.

[officialravenzoe]

Hell yes.

[davebo357]

At 7:02 every student has the exact same backpack. Is this some sort of requirement or do they hand out free backpacks to all the students?

[takeoUup115]

i wonder what happen to that show i wasnt a super fan but i enjoyed the show ,figures fox always keeps the crappy shows on and cancels the good ones

[brittanyboo271]

@takeoUup115 even though they dont play it as often on tv firefly is still a movie series so you can buy it.

[Leechesliketosuck]

Can't stop the signal.

[jrobson100]

I would offer that anybody who feels a real and immediate threat to their life from a poster quoting Firefly probably shouldn't be in college, in fact they probably should be in a home where sane adults can see to their care and keep anything sharper than a rubber ball out of their reach.

[ronoc9]

Ironic that the poster was about playing fair and this whole thing wasn't, lol

[MaxNuclear]

"The currency of our universities is ideas".

[armandomoranjr]

apparently 5 idiots watched this video.

[CochroachKappa]

I can't understand why so many see even the mention of death as some kind of threat when publicly displayed, regardless of the intended meaning. I mean, sure, if someone is going around with posters saying, "I'm going to blow this school up," it would be a problem--but this? It's silly! Reminds me of the time I was given 3 days detention in h.s. for wearing a "Prepare to die" Inigo Montoya shirt. People need to chill out & think rationally before penalizing free speech & damning their own image.

[ceridwengwyon]

I followed the case as it happened and I'm very happy you succeeded! Gaiman is awesome! I wish you a very good 2012. Keep on fighting, free speech is an inborn right.

[hagbard72]

7:30 certainly wouldn't have described my university (Windsor) back when I was a student there in the late 70s. I suspect nothings changed either.

[TheShalhoubCastleFan]

Loyal Browncoat Forever!

[Ragune77texas]

Don't give up the fight. Remember Serenity Valley!!!!!!!!

[joshuaoha]

Arghhh! Censorship make me so mad!

[SGlitz]

It's not like Liberals actually believe in Free Speech...Far from it. After all, they are always right and you're a moron if you don't agree with them...

[XnadezhedaX]

@SGlitz

"Liberal" as in the position upon the political spectrum, or 'liberals' as in the label bigoted far-right whackjobs so happily apply to anyone but themselves? If anything more free speech seems to be stopped by "conservative" factions than "liberal" ones.

[Joesolo13]

@SGlitz ...sure thing Alliance man. why don't you go wipe out hera?

[AEigner]

@SGlitz Shut up in the name of free speech!

[ThatllShowEm]

4 people provided sudden but inevitable betrayal.

[ksocrates]

The 4 that disliked this must have been either on the school board or someone working at FOX

[adsensus]

two by two. hands of blue... bastards.

[MikeTaylor17]

7:02 Why does everyone have the same backpack?

[broetzmannm]

@MikeTaylor17 everybody gets a school issued laptop when they attend and with it they give out a targus backpack

[LKBM]

@MikeTaylor17 The university actually issues all new students those backpacks. No, seriously.

[damneddirtyapez]

So, is it just me, or does the Fire guy look like Joss Whedon?

[glukianoff4077]

@damneddirtyapez You just made a nerd very happy

[TheKingofnoob]

Keep flying, Browncoats. They can't take the sky from us.

[Terraxos]

@TheKingofnoob

"They can't take the sky from us."

Erm, pretty sure they already did, back in 2003. Maybe you missed the memo...

[Kornmang]

@Terraxos what are you talking about?

[GreedyRadish]

Browncoat for life.

[TheLordmep]

Power to the nerds.

[antidoteco]

Obama HATES free speech !

[usaeagle1776]

free speech on a campus university? amazing.

[sandramarina87]

YOU DON'T MESS WITH FIREFLY FANS! You just don't..

[ogie666eigo]

the saddest thing in all of this.. with all the people out there famous and otherwise no one can figure out a way to resurrect firefly?

[metal502]

< Firefly fan and freedom speech fan.

/likes ^_^

[Amaroq64]

I think if it was just the college itself that wanted those posters removed, it would be within their property rights to do so. After all, it is school property. But if this was initiated by the police, then it's government initiation of force.

[eeek77]

@Amaroq64 That's what you might think. But this is a college and such freedoms are traditional. Besides, it is a government funded institution.

But beyond the rights issue, this is a might display of poor judgment by both the police and the administration. They created a problem where none existed.

[BrizyComics]

Imagine if this professor's poster had featured an image and similarly toned quote from Shakespeare. Would that have been so readily attacked by the administration?

[jkeuwk]

@BrizyComics Well, in fairness, maybe. If he'd chosen a quote from Shakespeare that specifically threatened the audience with violence or murder without necessary context. Not saying it's not dumb, just that there's no reason to automatically attribute the pettiest possible motives to someone when legitimate if misguided motives are just as likely.

[audaciousamateur]

@BrizyComics Presumably, quoting Hamlet's "to be, or not to be" speech would be disallowed for encouraging suicide.

[Joesolo13]

@BrizyComics Nope.

[dr3wkitty]

The problem with the Firefly quote on the poster is that in academia, giving fair warning to students before shooting them in the front is frowned upon. If I had $1 for every time I saw a TA or faculty member sabotage or backstab a student or grad student, I wouldn't have student loans to pay off.

[tamfang]

It's perfectly true that the poster in question "can be seen" as a threat – by someone stupid enough.

[CuanL]

Bring back FireFly!

[Txonatirea]

you guys rock!!!!!



[doggiewolfclaw]

Brilliant that the conflict was resolved favorably. You can't stop the signal.

[humanimal369]

I think it would be nice if ideas were the currency of a university, but it's pretty clear that in most universities the currency is dollars and obedience to the Left.

[THEunbelievablyhot]

Oh, look, 2 dislikes! How much you wanna bet it's a couple of those civil rights-violating tyrants at UW?

[starshuffler]

You can't stop the signal.

[adobemastr]

Great job, Greg and staff at Fire...keep up the fight!  It would only add to this story if the police chief and Universtiy chancellor publically apologized for their foolishness and near ruin of this man's reputation.

[r0cketplumber]

Someone needs to remind the UW-S administration that "there ain't no law against bein' a dumbass," as the old saying goes. Stupid is as stupid does.

[jmtrisc]

Pity the Head Meter Maid at UofW.

She has successful a career dispensing traffic tickets to cars parked in front of red flagged parking meters and now she has to use her judgement! Now she has to live with the complaints of people who look at zero tolerance decision making as asinine!

Poor woman. It must be so jarring to discover that your process based decisions are widely regarded as stupid after devoting a lifetime to them.

[frankenstyrene]

Two people are fascists and/or not fans of Firefly.

Probably both.

[AntNorwe]

I have that Firefly t-shirt!

[CosmoWenman]

Revenge is a dish best served nerd.

[tluth]

Another victory for the Browncoats!

[lubbockfan]

One person is an Alliance supporter. And probably likes watching Twilight movies.

[salgak]

We aim to misbehave. That's the essence of Liberty. . . .

[Monteee1000]

“This was not an act of censorship. This was an act of sensitivity”, said the Chancellor of UW Stout. A reasonable attitude to take, if one were teaching a Kindergarten class.

[stxrobstar]

Can't stop the signal.

Misbehave.

[automatikred]

I'm gonna win this -karan

[automatikred]

Youre giving $500 for a tweet? You got it I'll give you 30 -Karan

[RetSquid]

Unfortunately free speech isn't that free on most campuses. If you are a Conservative, your free speech is ridiculed as 'Right Wing', or 'Facist', no matter what you are talking about.

Would these guys support our Second Amendment rights to carry a firearm on a campus?

[vpostrel]

@RetSquid FIRE (one whose board I serve) addresses a limited number of issues, which do not include a position on carrying firearms. It keeps its mission focused so it can do its job well. Within that mission, however, it is a staunch defender of students' rights to discuss the merits of concealed-carry on campus. Google concealed carry site:thefire.org