Speech Code Is an Educational Tool
In voting down the proposed speech code that would forbid discriminatory language at CSUN, the faculty neglected to consider the educational aspect of the code.
Racism and bigotry are common in far too many homes. Children carry these attitudes, with the language that reflects them, to school and into adulthood and college. Colleges can and should be the place where racists and bigots are taught that society does not tolerate discriminatory language.
It was not too many years ago that conservatives attacked free speech by quoting Justice (Oliver Wendell) Holmes’ dictum that no one has the freedom to shout “Fire!” in a crowded theater. It does not take much imagination to see how harmful and disruptive racism and bigotry can be on a college campus.
BILL KRAUSE
Glendale
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