Letters
to the Editor
Student touts rights
In
response to Joyce Kelly’s opinion piece,
“Teacher Should Leave CSULB,” I have to
speak in defense of free speech. First,
Kelly alleges that the professor’s “purpose
was to cause harm to members of the campus
community of Cal State Long Beach.”
How did she ascertain this purpose? Did
the professor state that such was her purpose?
There was no quote to support such a conclusion.
It would appear that this “purpose” was
inferred by Kelly, and I would doubt very
much if that was indeed the intent of the
professor.
She alleges “That educator ignored professional
ethics.” Exactly which ethic did she violate?
Where in the ethics list does it say, “No
teacher shall permit anything that might
possibly be considered offensive to anyone”?
Second, why is the image of a noose, all
by itself, offensive? Yes, the noose
was used to kill and humiliate blacks for
a time. It was also used to kill whites,
Indians, Chinese, horse thieves, cattle
rustlers, bank robbers and a host of other
people. The noose has never been used as
a symbol by the KKK.
Third, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,
as well as the California Constitution,
protects the professor’s speech, however
distasteful it might be.
Kelly states that the professor “should
have no place on this college campus.” We
would not tolerate a journalism student
being asked to leave the campus for writing
an offensive article, nor should we ourselves
ask, nay demand, that a teacher leave for
the same accusation, as Kelly has done.
I respect her right to have her opinion.
If I am offended by what she has to say.
Asking a professor to resign for exercising
her right to speak is contrary to everything
that the journalism department hopes to
impart to its students. The First Amendment
is not there to protect speech with which
we agree, it is there to protect the speech
we hate.
The belief that we should deal with statements
that offend us by eliminating (or banning)
the person who uttered the offensive statement
is one to which Osama bin Laden, the Taliban,
Stalin, Hitler and Joseph McCarthy would
all subscribe. In the year 2002, in southern
California, I would hope we have grown beyond
such a belief and learned to tolerate that
which offends us. I strongly disagree with
Kelly’s opinion, and I find it offensive
that a journalism major would desire the
removal of a professor for exercising speech.
Nevertheless, I support free speech, and
therefore I have to support Kelly’s right
to speak her mind. I don’t agree with her,
and I don’t like what she is saying, but
I would pick up arms and give my life, if
necessary, to defend her right to say it.
Fortunately, today I only have to pick up
a pen.
—
Ed Ober
Political Science Major
Noose topic laid to rest
The African Student Union is writing this
final response to the issue regarding posters
depicting a noose that were disseminated
on our campus.
The ASU, which serves as the voice of the
African-American student on campus, took
a stand on this issue after several students
voiced their discontent regarding the poster.
Without hesitation, the ASU had a meeting
with the instructor of the class oho created
the image to express our views. During this
meeting, the president of our organization
and the instructor of the class came to
the immediate conclusion that the appropriate
action would be to remove the posters. The
instructor apologized dearly for all individuals
who were hurt by the poster.
The ASU’s primary demand was the immediate
cease in production as well as the immediate
removal of all such images on campus. That
happened. Our secondary demand was an apology.
That happened.
Representatives of the ASU were present
at the opening of the Graphic Design Department’s
show Sunday. For all intensive purposes,
this issue is completely resolved between
both parties as we move forward.
—
African Student Union
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