Aug. 7

Facebook Profile Meets Catholic Values (and the Campaign)

It’s 2008, and Web 2.0 has been around for a few years. The potential of online phenomena to disrupt political campaigns — the ubiquity of activists with video recorders, say, or the likelihood that even a “private” personal page will eventually find its way into an opponent’s hands — is a fact of life grasped by most political candidates. And their families.

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In this case, the candidate is Bob Schaffer, a Republican and former member of Congress who’s now running for the Senate in a closely watched race against Mark Udall, a Democrat. Over the weekend, a blog covering Colorado politics anonymously received a link to a mirrored version of 19-year-old Justin Schaffer’s Facebook profile, which contained phrases and images that critics immediately decried as racist and offensive.

This week the University of Dayton, where Schaffer is a rising sophomore, told local reporters that it would initiate disciplinary procedures before the semester begins on August 20 to determine whether he violated its Standards of Behavior.

Schaffer’s profile is still on Facebook, but he has since removed himself from the University of Dayton “network” and it is not clear whether he has removed the content to which many have objected. At first glance, the profile is typical of a college student his age: he lists Jimi Hendrix and Van Halen as favorite artists, and 1984, Animal Farm and Everybody Poops as favorite books.

Schaffer (who described himself as “Conservative” and “Roman Catholic") was also a member of numerous groups ("Justin left the group Pole Dancers for Jesus") and had installed several applications, including one that allows users to post digital “bumper stickers,” and receive them from friends. Some of these bumper stickers immediately caught the eye of critics on the blogosphere, such as a photograph of Barack Obama altered to look like Osama bin Laden, another of Obama raising his hand with the caption “High Five ... Who’s Gay!” and a poster featuring a Confederate backdrop and a machine-gun-wielding Christ, captioned, “What Would Republican Jesus Do?”

One bumper sticker, featuring side-by-side photographs of Obama and the Count Chocula cartoon cereal mascot, asks, “Separated at Birth?” Another, showing the pyramids, declares, “Slavery Gets Shit Done.”

Schaffer has already issued an apology, but his father’s campaign would not comment. “I do not agree with the sentiment or content of the offensive material, especially the ‘bumper sticker’ that references slave labor. It is clear that my actions were juvenile, disrespectful, and a mistake on my part,” the younger Schaffer told a local news station. “The offensive materials directly contradict the values that my parents taught me and are forbidden in my parents’ home. My Facebook page is solely my responsibility, and I am saddened that my actions have reflected poorly on my sisters and parents.”

He did not respond to a Facebook message inviting further elaboration. Schaffer’s father, the Senate candidate, told the station, “My wife and I have initiated a process of firm and severe discipline with our son.”

The university, which is private, has a policy stating that “discrimination, harassment, or any other conduct that diminishes the worth of a person is incompatible with our fundamental commitment as a Catholic university conducted in the Marianist tradition. Every person, regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability shall be treated with respect and dignity. No person shall be subject to any sexual, racial, psychological, physical, verbal or other similar harassment or abuse, or be denied equitable consideration for access to employment and the programs, services, and activities of the University.”

The university also upholds students’ rights to “full expression,” adding: “In upholding this freedom for its students, the University requires that the expression of opinion not interrupt or disrupt the primary teaching, research and administrative functions of the University or any other activity or proceeding on campus which is generally accepted as a legitimate University function.”

“When Justin Schaffer became a University of Dayton student, he agreed to live by the standards of the UD community. In the Marianist tradition, affording dignity and respect to all persons are fundamental core values of the UD community,” the university said in a statement. “As an institution of higher education, we also welcome diversity of opinion, political dialogue and examination of the issues of the day. We encourage those discussions to be respectful of differences.

“In that Marianist tradition, we have started a dialogue with Justin exploring our deepest values and UD’s community standards. This is a matter between the University of Dayton and Justin and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

— Andy Guess

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Comments

Look at other Facebook pages

Unfortunately, it is the rare college student that doesn’t have something deeply offensive on his/her Facebook page. While some of the “bumper stickers” are bad, they are more political than racist, I do believe. Most 19-year-olds want to offend their elders, and this young man has succeeded. Perhaps, having a father in politics, he should have been more aware than some of the hazards of a public profile, but his Facebook page is well within the norm. I don’t think many parents would want to be held responsible for the public profiles of their college-aged children.

College prof/College mom, at 8:25 am EDT on August 7, 2008

discipline?

It’s a little scary when dad is administering “firm discipline” and the university is going to discipline him for “bumper stickers” in poor taste on Facebook! Next are they going to be monitoring what all their students write on peoples’ walls on Facebook?

http://rightwingprofessor.blogspot.com/

rightwingprofessor, at 8:50 am EDT on August 7, 2008

What constitutes humor in America?

The “jokes” on the profile page are right in line with what young Americans think is “humorous.” Comedy is no longer just funny (or funny at all), it only has to shock — especially anyone over 40. Young people no longer laugh when something is just plain funny, they laugh when what they see and hear is embarrassing and abnormal. Watch South Park, or any “comedy” movie aimed at teens and young adults — you’ll get the idea right away. This is what young people think is funny, and they take none of it seriously.

Mr. T, at 9:20 am EDT on August 7, 2008

Facebook profile

I’m not sure what Right Wing Professor is kvetching about.Hasn’t “personal responsibility” been the battle cry of the political right for the past decade or so?

As a student at a Catholic (and conservative) university, Schaffer agreed to live by a set of principles. These principles are not something one puts on to go to class and takes off when “at home.” It was Schaffer’s responsibility to maintain a Facebook page consistent with those principles he agreed to abide by. Now he must take personal responsibility for that failure and that includes accepting the discipline being meted out.

Ohio Teach, at 9:35 am EDT on August 7, 2008

Is anyone surprised? This is the son of a Republican politician. Just goes to show how he was raised.

Is anyone surprised?, at 9:55 am EDT on August 7, 2008

Parody Flunks Out

So a U. of Dayton undergraduate posts offensive parody remarks and images on his own Facebook Profile when classes are not even in session!

Danger ahead!

And then — shaazaam! — just as surely as night follows day, here comes the long arm of the speech cops, behavior modification zealots and hilariously self-important censors from the U. of Dayton.

Sigh. Summer vacation must almost be over, folks.

The school bells announce that it’s almost time to revisit the same old tendentious and tedious trends that make higher education administrators and their politically correct armies of camp followers such a rich field for humor, sarcasm and ridicule.

A wonderfully trenchant and wide-ranging essay on this appalling trend is a recent essay by the ACLU’s Harvey Silverglate, “Parody flunks out. Political humor is no longer welcome in Academia as Administrators choke the life out of parody” (July 30, 2008 issue of *The Phoenix*).

Chuck, at 10:00 am EDT on August 7, 2008

Get Over Yourselves

“College prof/College mom” needs to catch a clue about Facebook. College students aren’t accepting “bumper stickers” from their friends to irritate or offend their parents—in fact, the couldn’t care less if you never happened across their pages in the first place. They accept them because they find them humorous. Do we really think this young man condones racism because he chuckles at an obviously tongue-in-cheek joke? Read “Mr. T’s” last sentence—they think it’s funny and don’t take it seriously.

For a great example of this observe that, on Facebook, many students list their relationship status as married, citing one of their best friends as their “spouse.” In most of these cases, that friend is the same gender—should we jump to the conclusion that the students have just “come out of the closet?” This is not to say that there is anything wrong with that if they have (thank you Seinfeld), but NO(!!!!)—it’s a JOKE, PEOPLE. This speaks directly to the Millennial Generation’s appreciation of a little innocent irreverence.

Should the young man have known better and not accepted the bumper stickers given his family’s role in “public life?” Probably, but let’s not make this out to be more than it really is.

Over 40 Social Meda User, at 10:20 am EDT on August 7, 2008

This MAN is 19-years old. Yet his parents feel they can control his actions through discipline. “My wife and I have initiated a process of firm and severe discipline with our son.” What, are they going to ground him and take away his toys?

Lisa, at 10:40 am EDT on August 7, 2008

So tell me HOW is what this young man published different than that recent New Yorker cover ?

Watcher, at 10:50 am EDT on August 7, 2008

It is interesting that conservative Catholics often hide behind their faith to support harsh values they hold. But as soon as that same faith tradition fosters a non-conservative viewpoint they don’t embrace it so gravely.

Why is this student’s Facebook page a subject of discussion? Because his father is a politician in a party that demands “proper” behavior in others and that considers the comments of a candidate’s pastor when evaluating that candidate. If Obama’s pastor is worth considering then I would think a candidaate’s own child would be...

A liberal Catholic, at 11:40 am EDT on August 7, 2008

It’s interesting how whenever someone’s speech is criticized, someone brings up freedom of expression. Yes, this guy has the right to say what every he wants. And I have the right to say that I find that what he’s said is appalling. I have kids that age, and I would be furious if they posted something like that. (I wouldn’t “discipline” them, though. They’re adults! But I’d give them a piece of my mind.)

Lucy, at 11:40 am EDT on August 7, 2008

Perspective

Whoa, lets step back folks!

Since when is even having a facebook page, much less what is on it a litmus test for what is right or wrong with an individual or society?

U of Dayton administrators have overreached with no clue as to what this young man really thinks or feels, but by their own morally injudicious ineptitude have made a big story out of it.

University of Dayton: Making the world safe one facebook page at a time.

Bob, at 12:00 pm EDT on August 7, 2008

Oh, NO!!! I wasn’t offended!!!

Boy, I guess I AM getting old! I was a computer analyst at the U of Dayton years ago and recently retired as a business college prof from a public southern university. Before I finished reading the article, I went to the “offending” Facebook page. And I WASN’T OFFENDED!! Oh my god! I’m going to hell in a hand basket!

I certainly didn’t see anything on his page that would not have been allowed when I was at the U of D. The school may not have approved of it but they wouldn’t have censored it either. This issue appears very much like a political ploy to try to discredit his father. And if it quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck.

Ginny, Management Professor Emeritus at Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC, at 12:35 pm EDT on August 7, 2008

Thy hypocrisy runneth over

Since when is a 19 year old’s values and judgment a basis upon which to pass judgment on parents? Onside Higher Ed, you ought to be ashamed. This never was an article about Facebook or Catholic values—it’s a shallow political article designed to smear a candidate.

Progeny of college professors and college administrators have done everything from time for drug convictions to perverted headline murders....and you are featuring an article on a teenagers’ poor taste in bumper sctickers???

Good grief—do something equally ridiculous by featuring some names of academic parents. Issue the innuendo that they are unfit for their careers because of the actions of their offspring, if you are going to treat equals as equals here....or get a life of your own.

This article was in much worse taste than anything it was trying to feature as offensive.

Prof Ed, at 1:35 pm EDT on August 7, 2008

What if these things had been on his dorm-room door instead of Facebook?

Jack, at 1:35 pm EDT on August 7, 2008

You know what to assume means?

I was a student at UD early this century. I did not find UD a conservative Catholic University — in many cases far from it. Yes, there are conservative Catholics there — staff, faculty and students, but the air there is (in my opinion) quite liberal. Just an observation of some assumptions...and I agree that some perspective of the student and is age would be good here.

UD grad, at 4:20 pm EDT on August 7, 2008

Be careful what you attribute to young Mr. Schaffer

I think we all have to keep in mind that a Facebook page contains a lot of items that appear from ‘friends.’ On the surface, they would seem to reflect the views or habits of the owner of the profile. I’ve been burned by an innocent application suggested by my wife that wound up putting a rather dicey (not pornographic, but certainly not modest) photo of a bikini clad lass young enough to be my daughter right next to my photo. Then I couldn’t figure out how to get rid of the thing! Most, if not all, of the more offensive material on young Mr. Schaffer’s profile has been posted by other folks. Cut the kid a break — it’s a tough lesson to learn about online social networking. I’ve been down that path myself and never intended to offend anyone, thankfully my friends helped me out of the jam — after they had a good laugh — they knew I was getting a bit flustered.

Matt, at 6:50 pm EDT on August 7, 2008

It’s this simple...you know you’re okay with Justin if you still have your Bush/Cheney ‘04 bumper sticker. You’re the people I worry about...not a nineteen year old punk like Justin.

BETHANY BALL, at 9:00 pm EDT on August 8, 2008

Justin’s Facebook page

Catholic University or not, my son is a graduate of one and he certainly has not beencalled or censured for anything on his Facebook page. I can’t imagine anyone taking the equivalent of bumper sticker mentality seriously, but if it really was of concern to the university, which it may not be, I hope Justin reminds them that they locked Galileo up under house arrest for showing the Vatican his telescopic version of the universe. I am a traditional Catholic and I can guarantee that the best judgment is not used by all people all the time in the Church. Of course I could write a book on that. However from an adjunct faculty perspective, the students should show respect to persons in the university community.

Nancy J. Gierach, at 1:35 pm EDT on August 11, 2008

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