During the past week, USD experienced a hands-on lesson on the complications of free speech after a protest at the veterans club memorial. The debate over the motives and intentions of the students is ongoing, but it’s important not to ignore the question of First Amendment rights on campus.
These recent reactions to free speech have been part of a larger culture of censorship at USD that awoke from its slumber this past year. In this school year, T-shirts, dormitory doors and bulletin boards have been censored, and some with questionable guidelines.
The methods of censorship, both by the administration and others ranged from unsettling to down right chilling in a country that values speech so much.
However, the university’s authority to dictate the specifications of protests has the potential for free speech abuses. The university could decide to place protests that are unpleasant in deserted locations to nullify their effects.
The university has the option to make content neutral restrictions, but it doesn’t have to. Further, it could expand protest times past the Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. hours they have in place now.
Shortly after the memorial protest was reported, veterans groups and other online commenters reacted.
Some people protested against the protest peacefully, with peaceful arguments. These people were engaging in the debate. Others, however, demanded redactions.
Civil people do not argue with others through threats; that is not free speech. Free speech is about the right to not be censored for unpopular speech, not to demand people redact opinions, lest they face vandalism.
The very nature of free speech and opinion, is disagreement, the idea that opinions should be censored or retracted simply because others disagree is frightening. If students don’t have the right to speech, regardless of its content, in college, in an independent, student-run paper, where do they? Were the calls for censorship to be heeded, it would only be a matter of time before more opinions make the blacklist.
13 comments
You are the best argument against your own position I can imagine. You must have neglected to read the most recent issue of the "liberal" rag you're so worked up over. I counted three pieces directly opposed to the sentiments expressed in the op-ed page of the previous issue. Furthermore, what do you pay for this paper? I believe it is free for the taking. Are you an advertiser? If so, by all means withhold your advertising dollars until the staff conforms the opinion page to line up with your views. You are a violent dinosaur, countering peacefully stated opinions in a newspaper with threatening language meant to intimidate. I agree that the protest related to the flag display was disrespectful and a violation of university policy. However, your threats of violence are a violation of the civil rights of everyone who disagrees with you. It's pathetic. As you can see I've decided not to post my name. Can you guess why, genius? Would you like my address and my class schedule as well? Give me a break.
This college newspaper does not print a wide variety of opinions, it has proven itself based in liberal bias and chooses to print a majority of those articles which support those ideals. So no, maybe they don't care about my support, but they do care about my money. And until this newspaper, and university for that matter, decide to state the facts of the issues they publish they won't see any of it any more.
Finally, you really need to elaborate on how my understanding of the freedom of speech is infantile if you expect a response. *Note: I should have been more clear. Me punching you in the face is more a of personal expression than constitutional right.
Also, please do me the honor of posting a name of some kind so I know who I am replying to.
I can't imagine that anyone really cares about your support. Your understanding of freedom of speech is infantile. You demand the right to punch me in the face if I insult you? Stunning. You don't deserve to be recognized for defending my freedoms. A newspaper -- even a college newspaper -- must be allowed to print a wide variety of opinions in on its editorial page. Some you will agree with, some you will not. If you like, you're free to write a letter to the editor voicing your disagreement. You are no allowed to punch a columnist in the face because you don't share his views. This is stupid. A gorilla behaves this way. Grow up.
The issue with the Veterans Memorial is not a debate over free speech. I think this statement has been made clearly throughout last weeks events/meetings with officials. It is an issue of defacing a memorial. During the Freedom Speech Forum it was clearly stated that student groups especially those recognized by SGA need to conduct themselves in a responsible and respectful manner. Holding a protest NEXT to the display would have fit that criteria. However; when you deface a peaceful memorial by destruction and infringe on my rights to freedom of speech and expression that is not only disrespectful but distasteful. Patrick and SATS was in the wrong, a student group needs permission to put up a display. They were not conducting a protest, what they were attempting to do was put up a disrespectful display inside our display. They didn't have the proper permission do so and secondly you don't deface another groups display.