Bible-reading session was a violation of civil liberties

Editor,

I find it extremely offensive that a Baptist student group was given permission by the Student Activities Center to set up a tent, co-opt the center of the Duck Pond and use a microphone to proselytize until Sunday night in a marathon Bible-reading session. No other group has imposed its dominance on the center of an area where people intentionally seek a restful and calm outdoors environment to sit, study or even meditate. The group's use of a microphone guaranteed that no one else could be there without being imposed upon by its message. It is clear by its choice of location that it wished to be heard where people often enjoy staying for long periods of time and are less likely to walk away. For this reason, it should have been denied permission to remain there for such a long time.

Other gatherings I've seen at the Duck Pond have been on the periphery and have been gone in a few hours. The use of this central location made the group deliberately unavoidable. In contrast, when the Muslim Student Association set up a tent for a week in April, it was on Smith Plaza. The MSA tent was placed so one could easily choose to enter or to walk by without being assaulted or inundated by an unavoidable message. It was gracious, welcoming and informative. It provided food generously and was interested in sharing information about its beliefs, yet it was in no way dogmatic or imposing those beliefs upon anyone. In other words, it shared its religion appropriately and usefully in a fair and acceptable manner.

By allowing this Baptist group to broadcast with a microphone in a public area, UNM has violated my civil liberties. Though I understand that the entire campus is considered a free-speech zone, there are certainly better places to locate this group, which is disturbing and prevents at least some of us from studying and relaxing, particularly during finals preparation time. Having the group there is totally unacceptable, as well as unbearable to me, and it deprives me of access to a part of campus that is very important to me.

As someone who has been involved in spiritual studies for more than 30 years, I certainly understand a sense of devotion and commitment to one's beliefs. But imposing them inescapably and inexorably is unethical and improper.

Varda Brahms

UNM graduate student