More Reaction to the University of Alabama Student Rebellion

The University of Alabama offers another example of freedom of speech at work -- and under fire. After a comedian insulted gay students at a performance on campus last fall, the Faculty Senate demanded restrictive speech codes to ban"hate speech" about"race, ethnicity, religion, culture, gender, sexual orientation or physical challenges." (What else would sophomores talk about?) The Student Senate, aware in a way their campus elders weren't of the consequences of such a ban, adopted a free speech resolution asking the university to guarantee a university atmosphere"where new and often controversial ideas must be discussed openly and rationally in order to make advances in knowledge." The students observed that free speech does not condone hate, but promotes tolerance by enabling differences of opinion.