As soon as I learned about the Kansas University journalism professor who tweeted, “blood is on the hands of the #NRA. Next time, let it be YOUR sons and daughters,” I was reminded of a similar incident two years ago.

That other social media incident occurred when Emma Sullivan, then a senior in high school, tweeted that Gov. Sam Brownback “blows a lot.”

In response, Brownback demanded an apology for Sullivan’s tweet, and Sullivan refused. In the end, she didn’t have to apologize for her tweet, since it was ruled protected by the First Amendment.

The same applies to the KU journalism professor’s tweet. I’ll admit it, I find the tweet repugnant and downright disgusting. I know some people probably share the same sentiment about what was tweeted, but the tweet was beyond wrong.

Still, is it right for KU to suspend him for the tweet? And, is it likely he’ll be fired for what he did? I doubt it.

First of all, regardless of how abhorrent his tweet was, it is his personal opinion. Like it or not, the First Amendment protects citizens of this country from being prosecuted for expressing their opinion, as the amendment promises free speech.

However, I think KU also overstepped its boundaries when it decided to suspend the professor. Yes, it was a stupid move on his part, and he really should have thought it through before posting it, but he did not post it on behalf of the university; he posted the tweet on his personal Twitter account.

What’s interesting, though, is that the professor, David W. Guth, supports the decision by KU to suspend him.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Guth wrote, “It is in the best interests and peace of mind of our students that I remove myself from the situation and let cooler heads prevail. I know what I meant. Unfortunately, this is a topic that generates more heat than light.”

It seems to me he regrets posting the tweet, which I can’t blame him for.

I’m not saying the tweet wasn’t wrong — it was totally out of line and an extremely dumb thing to do. However, it is his right to express his opinion over any medium, including social media.

I’d like to see more of this country fighting for the First Amendment, rather than losing our minds over the Second Amendment, because there’s no freedom without free speech and free press.