The “college doesn’t condone this action, and they know people will be upset but it wasn’t public, it wasn’t targeting one person and no one saw it happen,” explains one about why the trio didn’t face punishment. 18 after Coming Out Week events on campus: “I am deeply sorry that I didn’t stop the incident from occurring in the first place, sorry to anyone who was affected by it.” Adds another, who helped burn the flag Oct. Know who was affected by it? All 1,800 students, plus every member of the faculty and staff. Burning a symbol of an entire class of people is known around these parts as an intimidation tactic, and not punishing the students is an open invitation to see your quad riddled with burning crosses. I understand your point, and those of practically everyone on this thread. But just as my advocating some tweaking of “free speech” laws to be more along the lines of ‘your rights end at the tip of my nose’, I understand that’s its a slippery slope.
What I’m saying is that free speech, when it incites negativity, is worrisome.
It’s Bill O’Reilly’s free speech right to call Dr. George Tiller “Tiller the Baby Killer” endlessly on his FOX show. Tiller’s church and blow his brains out in the name of Jesus? But in our fanatical world, is it so unexpected that someone ultimately took it upon his unhinged self to carry a gun into Dr.
