April 14, 2006

Today, conservative Tennessee blogger and Belmont University Marketting and Communications staffer, Bill Hobbs, has resigned his position with the private university.

I am resigning from Belmont University in an amicable and mutual parting of the ways, effective Monday. I wish Belmont University, a truly fine university and a Nashville treasure, only the best in all things. Well, except basketball as I, a Lipscomb alum, will now resume rooting for my alma mater when the two schools meet on the basketball courts.
[Bill Hobbs - NashvilleFiles.com - 04-14-06]

Hobbs' resignation from Belmont University, described as "the largest Christian university in Tennessee," comes after scathing criticism of his feelings toward Islam.

Hobbs’ online street cred and apparent respect for religion make it even more surprising that he would post a cartoon lampooning the Islamic faith on one of his websites. In late February, at the height of Muslim furor over cartoons of the prophet Mohammed, Hobbs created a contest in which he invited readers to submit drawings of Mohammed. “Exercise your right to free expression by drawing pictures of Islam’s ‘Prophet Mohammed,’ ” Hobbs wrote, “before the West gives in to Islamist intimidation and fear of Islamist violence and makes it illegal to do so.” To kick things off, he posted a stick-figure drawing of Mohammed holding a bomb. Underneath the cartoon, in crude lettering, he wrote, “Mohammed Blows.”
[A political Web - NashvilleScene - 04-13-06]

None of this would matter much if Hobbs wasn't so closely associated with the Republican gubernatorial challenger to Tennessee's popular Democratic Governor, Phil Bredesen.

This week State Senator Jim Bryson announced that he's running for the republican nomination to face incumbent Governor Phil Bredesen. Bryson's announcement statement and subsequent comments to the media were sprinkled with use of the words "faith" and "prayer."

At the same time Bryson's announcement was occuring, a different launch was underway on the web - the launch of a new blog called Bryson For Governor Blog. This blog is founded and edited by Bill Hobbs, an editor and news writer on the marketing and communications staff at Belmont University and a local blogger whose been promoting various GOP political propaganda for several years.
[Jim Bryson, Jesus and a Mohammed cartoon - Tennessee Political Pulse - 04-05-06]

The sad fact is the consequences of this story are those of Bill Hobbs alone. The reasons for his resignation have nothing to do with the media focus on his own published actions and everything to do with Bill Hobbs choosing to exercise his right to free speech to express his disdain for Islam. God Bless America for the right to be a fool.

UPDATE 4:21pm: Michelle Malkin thinks it's just horrible Bill Hobbs was "fired" over a cartoon. As a private institution, the largest Christian University in Tennessee is not obligated to employ anyone who chooses to publicly exercise their First Amendment right for the purposes of denigrating religion. I suspect if Bill Hobbs was a Muslim sketching Jesus in precarious situations and inviting the public to join him, Michelle Malkin would all of a sudden get it.

Recourse under the First Amendment is afforded citizens denied this right by the government, not a private organization or employer. Otherwise McDonalds might have a problem being forced to employ cashiers honestly telling customers how much the food truly sucks. You have the right to say it just as McDonalds has the right to fire you for exercising that right in whatever public manner you choose.