Free Speech or Suppression?

College Newspapers Get a New Opportunity To Reflect on the First Amendment

The ad was provocative -- intentionally so. Produced by noted conservative author David Horowitz, it argued forcefully against the notion that U.S. descendants of slaves should be entitled to financial reparations. The ad was made available to 51 college newspapers as a paid insertion.

Most of the college newspapers did not publish the ad, but some did. Then political correctness hell broke loose. At Brown University, most of the first run of the newspaper containing the ad was stolen (or "seized," depending on your point of view) by student organizations. A reprinted edition had to be delivered under police protection.

At the University of Wisconsin at Madison, protesters barged into the newspaper's office, demanding the resignation of the editor. She has thus far declined the offer.

Several other college newspapers published the ad, accompanied by or followed by printed apologies.

There will be much handwringing and much debate about exercises of speech that some deem to be offensive. That's good, because, at the end of the day, every day, every American must be reminded that the First Amendment protects the right of David Horowitz to free speech (which he was willing to pay for), just as it protects your right and our right. It protects the right of those college newspaper editors who chose not to run the ad, even though the money for it could have paid for more speech. It protects the right of those who felt it necessary to apologize, wimps though they may be. It protects the right of all who choose to speak in disagreement, whether in learned, civil discourse or moronic ramblings.

How many times must it be said that the First Amendment was not written to protect "nice" speech? It was written to specifically protect speech that does offend. Any attempt to deny the right to speech that offends is to abrogate one of the bedrock principles of this country, and the result would be unacceptable to us all.

For more on this debate, or to read the ad that started it, click on the Center for the Study of Popular Culture's http://frontpagemag.com/index.htm

To read one of the most illuminating books on Supreme Court decisions in First Amendment cases, get Freedom of Expression in the Supreme Court, edited by Terry Eastland and published by Rowman & Littlefield.

Click here to read notable quotes on free speech.

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