16. Paul said that he sould be fired...and profs are a dime a dozen.. Paul needs to be on medication...and be sent to the taliban training school, beucase he sounds like a person who is into harsh and unjust way of thinking..Paul is mentally disturbed. He has been brainwashed with the BUSH mentality of thinking...NEO NAZI......

DR TIM at 3:47PM on Apr 24th 2007

17. I was under the impression that we were still living in America. Maybe the prof was a "bozo" for doing this, but I don't think it warrants firing. Whatever happened to freedom of expression? Besides, his gesture was probably taken completely out of context, which is what usually happens in these types of incidents.
Also, what Don Imus said was really dumb and thoughtless, but he should not have been let go. Once more the media caves in to the supposedly
politically correct stance. They just want to protect the bottom line of advertisers dollars.
And of course Al Sharpton jumps on anything that
continues the racial divide because it keeps him and his ilk in the newspapers.

Stephen G at 4:14PM on Apr 24th 2007

18. Fired for nothing - other than emotional overreaction and PYA politics on the part of the college. He did not advocate the overthrow of the government (could we please?). Instead, he pointed his finger to.... what? make a point?
What a ridiculous culture we live in these days....the crazy guy gets a pass until total disaster and mayhem strikes but the 'nutty' professor gets the axe. Go figure.........

terry at 6:52PM on Apr 24th 2007

19. Timing is everything in life. Had he done the same thing six months from now, the "incident" would have gone unnoticed, but VA Tech is this huge, freshly opened wound right now. Judging from the YouTube file, this guy is not very politically savvy. Still, he didn't deserve to be fired. He should seek legal assistance and, in the meantime, keep his mouth shut - stop posting things that might weaken his case.

JerBear418720 at 11:31PM on Apr 24th 2007

20. This situation only proves what I've believed for a long time now. Liberals, particularly those on college campuses do not truly believe in freedon of speech. They are only interested in hearing themselves talk, and if you offer an opinion that is different than theirs, it is "Hate Speech."

April at 11:37PM on Apr 24th 2007

21. Dumb, dumb, dumb! He would have been better off if he had pointed his finger to the side of his own head and said "POW!" Still, this is no reason to irreparably damage the career of a college professor. The time for political correctness has passed. It is 23 people too late. Why don't we put aside the media frenzy for tidbits to take this story farther down the road and start examining the real reasons why we can't get violence and guns under control in our country. We're going to need all the provocative professors that we can muster if we are to come up with solutions to the gun-crazed madness that is contemporary America!

Jon Elder at 7:40AM on Apr 25th 2007

22. As a public safety professional whom has been working in the field for 17 years, I can say with certainty that the only counter to a person with a gun is another person with a gun. But whether you agree with Professor Wineset’s pro-gun views (or mine), it is clear that Emmanuel College’s firing of Professor Winset is inherently unfair. Setting aside for the moment that there are other disciplinary measures that could have been taken short of firing, the fact is that the college directed him to ‘engage his students regarding the subject but did not advise or direct him how--and more importantly how NOT-- to do so. The college Administration decided to have each member of the faculty address the issue with their students instead of scheduling an assembly wherein an ‘approved’ format could’ve been presented. At the very least, a sample ‘text’ could have been provided-but was not. As a result, the college should have known that each faculty member would address the subject differently (some better than others) and the college should accept the consequences of their own poor planning.

I would agree that had he taken it upon himself to engage his students in such a discussion that he must assume at least some of the risks inherent in such potentially controversial subject. I would also agree that had he either surprised his students with the subject matter or used in his demonstration a more realistic representation of a gun (than a marker) that it would have been so brutally insensitive as to fit the definition of, ‘offensive’.

If the professor failed at all, it was by not seeking advice from Administration as to how they wished the issue addressed. Myself, I would’ve sat in on the Psychology Professor’s discussion and taken my cues from that. The fact that Professor Winset did not indicates a strong possibility that the time did not permit it. Left to his own devices, he brought to the discussion his own prejudices and his understanding of the personal report he had with his students. Obviously, he was not far off the mark because one student picked up on the thread of his demonstration and ‘shot’ him to end his ‘massacre’.

I don’t believe putting young adults in touch with how fragile, thus precious, life really is a bad thing. As colleges have always been a forum for the open discussion of ideas in the pursuit of greater understanding, I can think of nothing more educational--indeed a profound breakthrough--in making young people believe that THEY can die.

It is this disbelief that I believe is in large part responsible for the high rate of fatalities in modern combat operations. Today, emergency medical technology has improved to the point where a soldier wounded in combat, who receives treatment within two hours of injury, has a 200% better chance of survival over his World War II counterpart. Yet, the per-capita injury or fatality rate is 50% percent higher. Why? Today’s soldier is better equipped, better trained…why does today’s soldier incur such a high rate of fatality? Age.

In World War II, the average age of the combat soldier was 25. By Vietnam, he was 19 and this is still the case today. If you took 100 people under the age of 20 and asked how many of them had lost a peer due to an accident or act of violence, fewer ten than would say ‘yes’. If you asked the same question of a group age 25 and over the answer will be thirty or more. Point is, by the time a person reaches age 25, they have experienced--and hopefully matured--enough to understand that THEY can die…not just the other guy! Okay, so, you might have one or two who, when confronted with this reality, become paranoid. That’s what psychologists are for--and, its still better than being dead. Most who come to understand the reality of life and death use this information to better their lives and act responsibly in order to preserve it. Isn’t that the point of higher education?

Keith J. Mohrhoff at 9:18AM on Apr 25th 2007

23. I think it is a shame the way everyone carries on over the deaths at va teach and nothing for our troops being killed every day. The flag should be flown at half-mast for the troops not these college kids. and another thing the local police forces have started issuoing the medal of honor and purple hearts to police woulded or killed in police shootouts. This is another slap in the face to our men and women in uniform.

WILLIAM at 8:42PM on Apr 25th 2007

24. This is an outrage. As an adjunct professor of communication in Chicago I am saying it would not have happened out here. This man should not have been fired. Where is his union? Where is the ACLU? What does it take? Do we let this little guy become another casuality in our civil liberties being trounced? This is news that should be covered.

DNadolski at 12:05PM on Apr 26th 2007

25. Makes you wonder how one could be so educated but lack common sense.No he shouldn't have lost his job but kids at school anymore aren't even allowed to point a pencil at another student.You just don't joke about having exploding hairspray in your luggage or better yet, when you take a child to the emergency room after they have fallen on concrete that you just whacked them around a bit. My husband did that when we had to take our grand daughter to emergency room and he thought he was sooooo funny. Attendant looked at him and said "thats stuff you don't joke about around here buddy".

carolyn englemann at 6:22PM on Apr 26th 2007

26. I agree with Pat, I was nodding off during his
dissertation. Next time come to class prepared!!
His classroom gesture was not appropriate.

Fred at 1:56PM on Apr 27th 2007

27. just to finish off this imus thing;WHY DOESN'T SOMEONE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE 2 VULTURES SHARPTON AND JACKSON,WHO WAIT AROUND FOR A KILL, AND THEN AD THEIR 2 CNTS WORTH. THESE HYPOCRITES ARE CAUSING THE BLACKS LOTS OF PROBLEMS THAT THEY REALLY DON'T NEED.GET SOME GOOD LEADERS AND TRASH THEM

sid singer at 6:18PM on Apr 27th 2007

28. I agree he should not have been fired. Too many of those younger than GenXer's don't seem to have a sense of reality-they believe what they see. My husband is a grip for a film company. He works with many film crew specialists. Most of these people started in media and all will tell you that the media will only show you 5% of all events in the nation and they only show what they want to show for ratings. My brother directs the news for a major syndacate and will also tell you the same thing. This is a nation that needs to protect itself and each of us should have learned in school a long time ago to protect yourself and stand up/confront the class bully. Well, as we get older so do these bullies and if you take away my gun then I will not be able to defend myself from the bully with a gun who is stealing, trying to rape me or my children or just in general target practice at us. Well I believe in conceal carry to and I am licensed to do so. If someone in those crowds that were being attacked had a gun could have been the ultimate hero and dropped these idiots with a couple shots to center mass! Your college professor shouldn't have to teach you how to protect yourself as you should have learned how in grade school and firing him for refreshing your memory is wrong. We are creating a weak nation and every terrorist, thief and bully will reign if we keep it up. Fight Back America- Stand up for your right to protect yourself from these nut bags. Our environment is detiorating and the John Q public is only getting meaner and it will get worse before it gets better. This professor should not have lost his job. He is correct and remember it is true-news it not news it's entertainment and ratings and only 5% of what they want to show or what the government will allow us to see too.

k at 9:49AM on Apr 30th 2007

29. No, I do not feel that it was necessary to have had Professor Nicholas Winset fired. Also, I do not believe that this is an issue of Òfreedom of speechÓ at all. Regardless of the sensitivity of the issue after the Virginia Tech shootings, the professor still had the right to engage in a casual class interaction with his students.

In regard to comment #2, ÒPaulÓ assumes that the professor Òthought he was making a ÔfunnyÕÓ. I think that while Paul is quick to make such a judgment, for a professor to actually put aside the fact that he is of higher authority, that he is a college professor, and to be able to talk on the same level as his students and to have a sort of repertoire with them, is commendable and is not what Paul describes as him making himself out to be some sort of ÒdeityÓ. And even if the professor was trying to make a funny, I donÕt think it warrants him to lose his job.

Also, in response to comment #8, ÒJoeÓ says that freedom of speech is dead. If this is true, then why are we even allowed to comment on this blog? Why are blogs, where people put out their thoughts and views, even allowed?

After what happened at Virginia Tech, which could have totally have been prevented if precautions were taken, people try to make up for things by firing a professor who simply made a careless gesture of pointing his finger and said ÒpowÓ. Why werenÕt similar precautions taken with the Virginia Tech shooter? I think the authorities should better invest their time and energy in matters that do deserve to be paid attention to.

Zhen Shan Cheo at 10:21PM on May 3rd 2007