Going Too Far

I have been teaching one form of public relations or another for slightly less than half of my over 40 years in communication. One class I have taught more than any other pertains to the principles of public relations and how it needs to be depicted and ultimately practiced as a values-driven endeavor. In other words, those that "do" public relations for a living should behave ethically and always take the high road in terms of being fair, honest, open and loyal. The textbook I have used is one quite popular in our communication department at George Mason University: . "Public Relations: A Values-Driven Approach" by two respected scholars, David Guth and Charles Marsh, both on the faculty at University of Kansas.

Recently, Prof. Guth got himself into hot water over a controversial tweet he posted. The tweet pertained to another multiple shooting in the United States. In this case, 13 individuals died at the hands of a shooter at the United States Naval Shipyard in Washington, D.C. Guth, like many throughout the country, was outraged at the incident and, in his case, directed his frustration at the National Rifle Association. In his tweet, he said the NRA has "blood on its hands" and that next time let the victims be "your sons and daughters." As a result, University of Kansas officials have placed Guth on administrative leave.

No doubt the university justifies its action on the fact it does not want any of its employees publically wishing ill - or more specifically death - on others regardless of the circumstances. There was nothing wrong with Guth's action of commenting on this most tragic incident. In a free society, he and any of us are within our rights to do so. However, he obviously went too far. What Guth did and the repercussions that followed serve as a reminder that even freedom has certain parameters. The idea of certain action and the actual taking of an action are not one-in-the-same. I support the university's decision, yet hope it allows Prof. Guth to come back out of the penalty box soon.