@nycparent12 Of course insults are hurtful. But the n-word is more than hurtful. There’s a history behind it, a shameful history. It carries the baggage of slavery and lynchings and official denial of rights. That’s a different thing than being insulted about your looks or your opinions. It reminds blacks – intentionally – of their past oppression, and of the resistance they still encounter today.
Then why is it OK for black people to use it casually?
That discussion has been had many times, and it deflects from the issue. I’m not clear what you’re disputing. Do you believe that there’s no history of racism in this county? Do you believe that there’s no racism now?
It is a terrible thing for a non black person to use the n word. (There are reasons why black it’s different when back people use it). The CONSTIUTION however allows people to say terrible terrible things and not face any punishment from a government actor ( which includes public colleges). That’s the bottom line.
And no the arrest of the idiot who made a death threat does not moot the issue. It’s a crime to make a death threat. It doesn’t matter if it’s for racist reasons or personal reasons unrelated to any racial or other issue. Of course people should report crimes. They should not be told to report things that aren’t crimes to the police. And a university shouldn’t say they will take disiplinary action against speech that isn’t a threat or other crime.
Of course there’s been super egregious racism in this country in the past and even now. But I don’t see how it helps black people make a compelling case to white people to not to use the N-word, when black people readily use it to address each other.
If I don’t want my kids to use the F-word, then I shouldn’t be using it either.
@LasMa. The message from the campus police was very broad. That’s the point. It did not just focus on bad words that white people are not allowed to use. It said that saying hurtful things could lead to being disciplined. That is an unacceptably broad policy. As maya54 points out, it sounds unconstitutional.
However, maybe they were really were just trying to scare students into not saying “hurtful” things? Probably. Still, the message was kind of ridiculous.
I’m very down on mean people of all kinds, no matter what race they are. “Hurtful” is not limited by race. Lots of people can suffer great pain as the result of callous, cruel mocking words used by their peers or others. But this is not something for the authorities. To suggest that students call the campus police if they hear “hurtful words” is quite frankly absurd.
Colleges need to add a first year class: The US Constitution with emphasis on the First Amendment.
Seems that a course like this should be mandatory for all college administrators also.
Banning speech. Next some ‘little Robespierres’ to use the WSJ phrase will learn that there are ‘hurtful’ books in the library and start a book bonfire.
The e-mail was over broad. Granted. But, in this case, subsequent events proved the university officials were right in acting swiftly, decisively and (for once) without equivocation. Who knows whether this “idiot” would even have been on anyone’s radar without the university’s warning?