hate speech - any thoughts?

[gemruca9]

i went to UM ann arbor for undergrad, and now i go to EMU for grad school. it is safe to say that i've seen my fair share of campus demonstrations, protests, debates, bible thumpers, picket lines, etc. but the last few days on EMU's campus have been ... shocking to me. in the past, i have walked by several people and groups on campus that shout at

Comments

[meaghan0617]

we had the same thing at northern. this one guy would come every year and preach fire and brimstone. i'm glad we didn't get a group like that though. he would openly condemn gays and whoever else walked by as well, though. i guess to me its just so rediculously counter productive. but it happens everywhere. and i am also embarassed. its funny, becuase i live in rome which is the center of the catholic church, with such a history of condemnation. and yet i don't think anything like that would ever happen on my tiny campus. its such a hard line to walk between the right to free speech and what could potentially harm others. does it become a hate crime when your words cause someone else severe distress? i think so. i don't know. just thought i'd let you know that i happens on lots of campuses and its embarassing to most people. even my friends who consider themselves extremely devout christians were extremely embarassed...if not more so because they feel like they were being misrepresented. anyway. good post.

[tunde]

I think we need more people exercising their right to free speech instead of their right to say nothing at all. It is also a matter of perspective and belief. Like, 40 years ago, our beliefs would have been extremely offensive, and if we tried taking a public stand, we could have been attacked, fire-hosed, jailed, etc