OPINION: Religious protestors have no right to be on campus

We’ve all seen them around campus. They stand there holding signs, bibles and posters with shocking imagery or simply standing there holding on to nothing but the belief they are right, and you are wrong. But do these people ever really change anyone’s mind? And more importantly, should they be allowed to try on our campus? 

Of course, these demonstrators are protected under the First Amendment to a certain extent. They’re allowed to show up, yell and spread their message as much as they want as long as they don’t overtly disturb the peace at the university by harassment or disturbing classes. Though recently on campus we saw an example of both of these behaviors.   

An evangelist came to campus and stood outside the ISUB for several days, preaching intolerance of several groups including gay people, marijuana users, Muslims and many more. He made himself louder via megaphone and even called out specific students to call them things like “pervert,” “whore” and “fool.”  

The evangelist was even approached by a professor who asked him to move as he was disturbing the class he was trying to teach in a nearby building. The evangelist simply responded that what he was doing was “more important” than the class and continued. Yet despite harassment of students and disruption of class, he was allowed to stay on campus for three full days  

Meanwhile on his second day, some students were asked to leave the area by university employees and were even threatened with expulsion for playing music and using a megaphone of their own. The university seemed to prioritize the rights of this hateful evangelist over the rights of the students, paying to be here, who were being harassed and disturbed.  

In the end what did the harasser really accomplish? Every crowd he amassed was overwhelmingly against him. He even admits that himself in the recordings he posts, mentioning that only one or two students supported him and his message.  

These demonstrators will specifically call out lifestyles and groups like gay, lesbian and transgender people. Groups that already receive plenty of judgement and hate everywhere in the world from strangers online to the federal government. Now they are meant to deal with this harassment while they are just trying to make it to their class or get lunch.  

Additionally, often these demonstrators love visual aids, especially those who emphasize their disdain toward abortion. Showing disturbing and bloody imagery, that would have a content warning if it was shown anywhere on TV, is commonplace among these demonstrators as they parade it around proudly at 9 a.m. on a Monday morning.  

When a club or organization is playing music from their booth as they try to get the attention of students on campus, same as the religious demonstrators, their songs must be approved by the university, free of harsh language or suggestive material as to not disturb those it is forced upon. Why is that same rule not applied to these demonstrators who want to show you every disturbing image they could print on their poster board?  

These religious demonstrators have no place on campus as they are. The university shouldn’t let them be here at the cost of students and their pursuit of education. While it is their right to speak freely to an extent about their beliefs, the disturbing imagery and harassment of already marginalized groups does nothing but contribute to a toxic divide. Rather than convince anyone to agree, these people just upset and bother those around them with their dogmatic ramblings. They help no one, not even themselves. 

Tracy Mullinax can be reached at [email protected]