The University of Northern Iowa's student government and "Supreme Court" have both denied Students for Life of America's request to have a chapter approved for the campus.  Students for Life has appealed to Mark Nook, the school's president, to overturn the rulings.

UNI's student government denied SFLA's application on October 7, saying Students for Life "is a hate group, [and uses] hate speech [and] hateful rhetoric that is infringing on basic human rights that is healthcare," an embarrassingly poorly written statement, but par for the course for today's college students.  The school's "Supreme Court" backed the student government's decision, ruling that the group was "lacking in evidence of being an equitable, just, and welcoming student organization."

Lang Hall, University of Northern Iowa.
Photo credit: Madmaxmarchhare, CC BY 2.5.

"This organization has the potential to create a hostile environment on the University Campus," the majority decision said, referencing the student conduct code process, which says students have a right to be treated with "dignity and respect."  The majority decision added, "Allowing this organization that openly disregards the rights of women and other subsequent [sic] groups is not demonstrating nor upholding this policy."

Students for Life of America uses "hateful rhetoric"?  The UNI student government's denial statement claims that SLA infringes on "basic human rights."  But the most basic human right, granted by our Creator, is the right to life.  It is those in opposition to SFLA that are denying basic human rights and using hateful — and preposterous — rhetoric.  Calling unfettered abortion "health care" is like calling the Holocaust "population management."  By that standard, putting COVID-19 patients into nursing homes was "health care" — except maybe for the tens of thousands of elderly folks who died.

The majority's assertion that students have a right to be treated with "dignity and respect" is ironic in light of how the UNI Supreme Court's majority just treated those in SFLA... but resembles how conservative speakers and Trump-supporters get treated on campuses across the fruited plain.

The student justices in the dissenting minority wrote: "The majority opinion has predicted actions of UNI Students for Life— sowing unrest on campus and depriving others of their rights — that go far beyond the logical scope of this case.  By silencing a group of students who have shown no interest or indication of harming others, the NISG Senate and the Supreme Court majority are robbing these students of their fundamental right to speak freely and assemble as a group."

The Declaration of Independence states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

If depriving a baby of all of these is now somehow considered "health care," if being "pro-life" is considered by many to be a "hate crime," I must echo Thomas Jefferson's comment about slavery: "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever."