Quote:
Originally posted by filtherton
[B] Words DO lead to hate crimes. Think about that the next time some jock is screaming fag in your ear while he is kicking you in the stomach.
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Oh please. Censorship doesn't change anyone's belief. Just because the jock doesn't say "fag" out loud doesn't mean that he doesn't think it. And banning him from saying it certainly isn't going to make him rethink whether to kick your ass or not. Think about that while THE MIND CONTROL LASERS OF THE FUTURE ARE REPORTING YOU FOR THOUGHT CRIME.
http://www.aclu.org/FreeSpeech/FreeS...m?ID=9004&c=87
<b>Where racist, sexist and homophobic speech is concerned, the ACLU believes that more speech -- not less -- is the best revenge. This is particularly true at universities, whose mission is to facilitate learning through open debate and study, and to enlighten. Speech codes are not the way to go on campuses, where all views are entitled to be heard, explored, supported or refuted. Besides, when hate is out in the open, people can see the problem. Then they can organize effectively to counter bad attitudes, possibly change them, and forge solidarity against the forces of intolerance.
College administrators may find speech codes attractive as a quick fix, but as one critic put it: "Verbal purity is not social change." Codes that punish bigoted speech treat only the symptom: The problem itself is bigotry. The ACLU believes that instead of opting for gestures that only appear to cure the disease, universities have to do the hard work of recruitment to increase faculty and student diversity; counseling to raise awareness about bigotry and its history, and changing curricula to institutionalize more inclusive approaches to all subject matter. </b>