Speech Codes on Campus

I believe that this kind of racist behavior should not be tolerated on college campuses. It promotes racism and discrimination against African Americans and is creates a negative and hateful attitude towards minoritites. It is absolutely dipicable to see college students, young adults ready to enter the real world, dressing themselves up as KKK members or black slaves. I do not understand how anyone could possible see this as humerous or entertaining. It is cruel and immature behavior and colleges must put a stop to it. However, I do not think that banning it is the right solution. I think administrators should do everything they can to explain to the students the implications of their actions and how they affects others. In The Freedom Writer's Diary, the teacher explains to her students how racism promotes hatred and leads to mass murder and genocides. She explained that a racist drawing one student in the class made was exactly the kind of propaganda that was circulating in Germany leading up to the Holocaust. If teachers and administrators showed college students how similar these actions are to those of the Nazis in Germany, I am confident that it would have a real affect on them and change their minds about throwing these kind of themed parties.

Many of the schools that I am applying to for college are in California. When I clicked the mouse on the California picture, nearly every school that came up was rated as a Red Light or a Yellow Light (though most red). While I suppose this might negatively influence some students' decisions to attend one of these schools, I see it as a possitive aspect of the university. I looked specifically at the University of Southern California because it is one of my top choices and was rated as a Red Light. After reading several posts about this college and reading some of the policies that the college has set in place, it only encourages me as a student and shows me that USC is a great learning environment and same community. Why wouldn't I want to attend a college that protects me from harrasment or punishes students who degrade and verbally attack my peers? How could I possibly see this as a negative? The only students who should be frustrated by these policies are those who make a habbit of harrassing others for race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. If these policies prevent these students from wanting to attend the university, I only see that as a possitive consequence to creating a safe and supportive learning environment. I highly disagree with the ideas posted on FIRE's website that make these colleges out to be infringing on their freedom of speech when all they are trying to do is protect students from harrasment or abuse by peers and I absolutely believe these policies are legal.

If USC were to hear about sororities or fraternities throwing the kind of themed parties depicted in the slideshow, I am confident that they would have severe punishments for those who participated in the party and who put it together. I am sure that they would, at the very least, put the house on probation and then possibly kick them off campus if they repeat the offence. I definatly believe this would be a reasonable punishment and reaction from the school because it is acting in favor of its students and all mankind as it protects minorities from discrimination and shows an example to others that this kind of behavior is wrong and should not be tolerated.

I fully believe in the freedom of speech and protecting the First Amendment when it comes to political beliefs and actions, but when students disriminate against others or show racist behavior simply for entertainment or just simply for the fun of it, the school should have the right to step in and punish them. There is no excuse for students to harrass each other based on race, religion, or sexual orientation. I strongly disagree with FIRE and its opinion on these schools.