Free Speech v. Hate Speech

The University of Washington’s student newspaper, The Daily, recently printed an ill-informed, distasteful column against gay marriage. This Seattle Times article (and accompanying video) describes the entire fiasco.

It’s not a “for or against” type of issue. I stand by the newspaper’s free speech and I agree that the column was hateful. As I asked in a comment on the article (as with many articles, the reader comments are both illuminating and disturbing), is the real issue the existence of hate speech or that a newspaper exposed you to its existence? I say the real issue is the existence of hate speech. Attack that rather than those who presented it.

We need journalists to present views that many people disagree with so that we can have an open conversation. This traffics in all directions. It’s really petty to protest against the Daily rather than hateful people. Whether or not the article was ill-informed, I agree with their decision to print it.

~ by ericmonek on December 6, 2008.