| Problem 37.7 A state university adopts the following policy: �A student or faculty member may be suspended or expelled for any behavior, verbal or physical, that stigmatizes an individual on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, natural origin, sex, sexual orientation, creed, ancestry, age, marital status, handicap, or Vietnam veteran status.� a. decide whether the following actions violate the above policy. Decide whether the actions violate any of the Constitutional limits on free speech. 1. After writing a limerick for an assignment, a student reads it aloud in an English class. It makes fun of the reported homosexual acts of a politician. 2. A white student writes an article on race relations for the school newspaper. It points out that African Americans are more likely than whites to become criminals in America, which is one of the reasons why whites do not mix more with African Americans. 3. The athletic director schedules the varsity club�s awards dinner on a major Jewish holiday. Several Jewish athletes are unable to attend. 4. An African-American student hears that a group of Chinese students will not socialize with African Americans. She calls them �typical Chinese racists.� 5. Wearing white robes and hoods, a white supremacist student group stages a silent march on campus. 6. One student says to a group, �that guy kisses guys� and then laughs. b. What are the arguments for and against the above policy? Do you support or oppose it? Can it be rewritten for improvement? If so, how? Are there ways for students to take stand against hate speech even of there is no code? Explain. c. Should television and radio stations be regulated by laws, or should they have their own rules similar to the above university policy? Should other private businesses have similar rules? Give your reasons. d. Think about how racial and ethnic slurs compare with fighting words. In what ways are they the same? How do they differ? |