Daniel Anderson:
Hi everyone. We've talked a bit about language, so I hope everyone has a feel for its
power. Words can shape our worlds. So what about issues of free-speech on Campus.
Let's not get caught up in PC bashing without being aware of the intent of some of the
restrictions that are being placed on language. What are campus speech codes addressing
and is it an important task to address these problems? If so, then what's wrong with
speech codes. Finally, just what is a code? Does it have to be written and approved
by a board of some sort. How does it relate to the general atmosphere of a culture
like the University or like our society in general. What do you think?
Nick Hildebrandt:
Ritu, read your e-mail and get back to me.
Daniel Anderson:
So even though language is powerful and important what about speech codes are they a good
thing?
Kent Park:
I don't think there needs to be a written rule against what can be said and what can't.
We sould judge it by our society's moral standard.
Richard Vu:
Heather, Sara, and Kimberly are we going to meet for the mosiac thing?
Natasha Ann Rogers:
what do you mean by speech codes
Katherine E. Braxton:
Society decides what can be said.
Michael Heath Haley:
What is our society's moral standard?
Jai Kumar Subrahmanyam:
I think they are since they define the person you are in the eyes of the others.
Ryan Schuchart:
Our society doesn't have just one moral standard. Our morals are vast and many.
Michael Nunez:
I agree Kent.People who say evil things will get what is coming.
No need for a written code.
Kent Park:
Daniel, I don't believe so. You can't tell someone what to say and what not to say.
By doing that, you are telling that person how to think.
Daniel Anderson:
Kent, are you suggesting that the code be something that we kind of mutually agree
upon but doesn't have to be written dowsn. one problem with that is that the
people whjo would make up an agreememnt might be the ones in p[ower or wityh
something to gain by using certain language. Should Jesse helms be the one who
decides.
Natasha Ann Rogers:
Katherine, what if society is corrupt, wouldn't tha make the speech corrupt too.
Katherine E. Braxton:
Each person has their own moral view, so how can their be one code .
Kimberly A. Rucker:
I think that your own moral standards and your concious should tell you what to say or
what not to say.
Richard Vu:
We all have different moral standards. Mine are not nesscarily the same as yours.
So then would we all have to conform to one moral standard.
Nick Hildebrandt:
Kent is right, I don't have a real problem with how we talk or write.
It usually gets the message across without too many problems.
Randy Samuelson:
Political Correctness sucks. At one point we are trying to "unify the society".
But we are doing it by separating it. We don't want to notice race or sex,
but we have become a hyphenated country. African-American.European-American.
Mexican-American. Accept people for who they are and don't worry about
hurting their feelings.
Michael Heath Haley:
But Michael, do you think it is a good idea to let stuff go to extremes or can
we prevent all this nonsense
Kimberly A. Rucker:
You can never convince every one to change to one moral standard.
Jai Kumar Subrahmanyam:
How would you really implement such a thing as "speech code" anyway ?
Kent Park:
Our society should be the one to decide. You know...majority rules.
Society in general has a set of moral standard that it lives by.
Michael Nunez:
I agree again Kent.You start censoring language and we will have
a really big problem called govnt control of thought.
Katherine E. Braxton:
Natasha, if society is corrupt then a corrupt speech would not affect socity,
because it would be seen as apropriate.
Ritu Singh:
I don't belive that speech on campus should be regulated. people who are
smart enough to attend a college/university then they should have enough common
sense to be able to take what other people say. once people start using codes-
who is going to decide to restrict who's speeches.
Kent Park:
Katherine, yes, everyone has their own moral standards, but we must think
in terms of the moral of the society.
Ritu Singh:
I don't belive that speech on campus should be regulated.
people who are smart enough to attend a college/university then they should
have enough common sense to be able to take what other people say. once
people start using codes- who is going to decide to restrict who's speeches.
McLain Robertson Hall:
It seems unfair to put morals codes on what we say. Using a tricky expression like
"not PC" is supposed to make people quilty about what they say. Who is one group
to attach morals to speech
Nick Hildebrandt:
Randy, one should always be careful not to hurt someone else's feelings.
If you're not then their feelings probably will get hurt even if unintentional.
Sara Dever:
How would it be possible to even censor language.
Michael Heath Haley:
So Kent, are you saying that the minority has no say at all?
Daniel Anderson:
The majority rule concept gets a lot of milage in these debates. But what if
the majority is doing somethinmg that is wrong. In the past books written called
th evolution of Man or siome such were common. But was that fair to women?
Natasha Ann Rogers:
Randy, we should try to be a unified country but be proud of our backgrounds too.
Katherine E. Braxton:
Kent, each individual perrson is what makes society.
Randy Samuelson:
Written codes are cencorship of thoughts. You can't think that because it might
offend someone.
Richard Vu:
I agree with Randy. All this hypenated Americans is just stupid. We all live
in Texas but I don't call myself Asian Texas know. It's all just dumb.
Kent Park:
Richard, no we don't have to conform to one moral standard, but if your moral
standard is different from the socity's moral standard, you should yield to
what majority of the people think is right.
Michael Nunez:
haley,are you saying that the minority should rule over the majority?
welcome to democracy!
Michael Heath Haley:
Ritu, I'm sorry, but I don't believe that everyone who goes to college is
actually "smart". This is talking about common sense which I know a lot of
people don't have.
Kent Park:
Michael, yes they have a say, but not with a voice that's louder then the majority.
Michael Heath Haley:
Hey Mike, did I use those words. Try not to get confussed!
Nick Hildebrandt:
McLain, not being politically correct is a choice. Anybody who isn't PC will suffer
the consequences if any of their actions.
Ryan Schuchart:
um kent, why in the hell should we do that? I mean thirty years ago the vast
majority believed strongly in racism.
Daniel Anderson:
Mclain, good point about why one group should atach morals to speech, but isn't
that something that has always been done.
Jai Kumar Subrahmanyam:
You will never be able to get the consent of all the people and so it would
seem that the only logical way would be to go by the majority. It has been done
in the past as far as passing a "law" for instance.
Katherine E. Braxton:
I call myself An American, not a German- American. I consider me to be
an American and my pride starts here.
Kent Park:
If majority of the people think something is right, then it is right for that society.
Zulema Marie Vasquez:
I Mexican-American because that is who I am. It's not dumb, it is a form of identity.
I am damn proud to be both an American and Mexican.
Heather Leonard:
Kent- what if it is wrong?
Ryan Schuchart:
kent, do you think racism is right?
Ritu Singh:
kent-why should anyone yield to someone else just because the majority is right.
if you go out with a bunch of friends for icecream and the majority wants
choclate but you want vanilla, are you going to have choclate just because
that's what the majority likes.
Kent Park:
Katherine, yes but if those individuals can't live together then you have no
society...just individuals.
Katherine E. Braxton:
Kent are you saying that the minority should be ignored?
Natasha Ann Rogers:
Kent, the majority is not always right.
Daniel Anderson:
Ryan, the did the vast majority believe in racism? So this would suggest
that some kind of check on our language and beliefs is needed, unless you're
for racism.
Kimberly A. Rucker:
Who is to say who is wright and who is wrong. Something might be right for me,
but totally wrong for someone else.
Michael Nunez:
So Kent ,you are saying to just get rid of anyone who does not agree
with the way our society is going?
McLain Robertson Hall:
When it comes to "free speech" the majority should have nothing to do with it.
Michael Heath Haley:
But the minority always has the chance to speak up and try to convince others on
what they believe.
Kent Park:
Katherine, No minority should not be ignored, but we can't live by what minority
always wants. They have a voice, but unless they become the majority, they should
not be the ones making the "rules"
Richard Vu:
Kent. Alot of people support War, I don't. I don't think anybody should die to
prove a point. Should I bend to society's moral standard that war is o.k.
Katherine E. Braxton:
McLain, I agree.
Ritu Singh:
but a society is made up of indivisuals. if we lose independent thinking the society
is going to be stuck in a rut, not advancing morally or mentally.
Natasha Ann Rogers:
Kent, society is made up of individuals .
Zulema Marie Vasquez:
Ritu, that is so true
Michael Heath Haley:
Is there really any good answer to all of this?
Melissa Talamantes:
Personal opinion has nothing to do with race or color it has to do with individuality,
and should be treated as such.
Daniel Anderson:
Good pouint, Natashha The majority is just another word, It has all kinds of baggage
that goes with it. But the majority of people voted for Bill Clinton.
How many opponents to speech codes will swallow that pill in the same moputhfula s
the present the one that the majority was OK in favoring racism. it's a double edged
sword, and just another way of rationalizing things often.
Kent Park:
Ryan, yes and that majority changed it too with the "voice" of the minority.
Michael Nunez:
Kent,cant we all just get along
McLain Robertson Hall:
No Micheal
Ryan Schuchart:
Anderson: I was just trying to illustrate a point that the majority is not always
right. Yes, a check was needed on our beliefs and I believe it was, and we have
evolved in our disdain for racism.
Michael Heath Haley:
Thank you!!!
Randy Samuelson:
I believe you should say what you want, when you want. You will find out how
popular that the decision is by the number of people who listen to you and the number
who throw rotten tomatoes at you.
You can be proud of your heritage, but you shouldn't be given any special rights
or priveledges because of it...like new words.
Jai Kumar Subrahmanyam:
I tend to agree with kent, you will not be able to get the consent of all the
people since each individual has his own perspective.
Nick Hildebrandt:
Zulema- Being proud of your heritage is great. As long as I don't have to call you a Mexican-
American all the time. It gets very wordy. If the conversation somehow relates
to your background then I'll get the idea. I just don't want to constantly have
to refer anybody as a Mexican-American or Asian American.
Katherine E. Braxton:
Kent, Everybody has rights and if you strip one group of their rights just
because they do not make a majority then where does their freedom go.
Kent Park:
Ritu, that's different. You can have a vailla ice cream without hurting or
keeping the other people from having the choclate ice cream.
Daniel Anderson:
The pouint about individuals is well taken. If we leave it up to individuals
to decide what's right or wrong, that allevbiates a lot of the problems of
majority and what group is right or wrong. Are there any problems with this?
Kent Park:
Ryan, of course I don't think racism is right....
Richard Vu:
Kent, the same thing can be said with giving the death pleantly. Who is right and
should bend to the morally domniant.
Nick Hildebrandt:
Randy, of course nobody should get special rights or privileges because of
their heritage, but is a new word really a special right?
Ritu Singh:
speech codes are ment to restrict some people so they cannot say things that will
hurt other people. coleege is supposed to be a preview of the real world.
in the real world if a person gets hurt just because someone said aomething bad
to him/her then how is that person going to survive?
Randy Samuelson:
The right of free speech is guaranteed under the first amendment to the Constitution.
Never forget your rights as an American.
McLain Robertson Hall:
Why is evberyone sao sensitive to what others say
Katherine E. Braxton:
Kent , if the majority of the population felt you do not have the right to vote,
is that fair,because you are only a minority.
Kent Park:
Natasha, in a way they are. If everyone in this world said you were wrong,
then in that world, you are wrong no matter how much you think you are right.
Michael Nunez:
Kent,I dont like chocolate ice-cream,do you think if the majority agrees
that we should forbid its production?I dont think so!!!!!
Daniel Anderson:
Randy, the right to free speech is already regulated though, It doesn't mean you can
say anythiong you want/.
Michael Nunez:
Kent,I dont like chocolate ice-cream,do you think if the majority agrees
that we should forbid its production?I dont think so!!!!!
Nick Hildebrandt:
Jai- Of course one can't get the consent of all the people. That's why we have
democracy or majority rule.
Ryan Schuchart:
kent, if the vast majority believed in it, would you think it was right?
Ritu Singh:
kent, yes i agree with you, but would you change your mind if your friends p
ersuaded you. would they be mad at you if they think they have no control over you?>
Zulema Marie Vasquez:
Nick, why can't you refer to me as a Mexican-American if that is who I am.
Anyhow, I am not telling you to refer to me as a Mexican-American 24 hours a day,
but realize that is who I am and it must be respected.
Kent Park:
Kimberly, Society has the right to say what is right and what is wrong.
Jai Kumar Subrahmanyam:
I agree with you all the way - Nick
Michael Heath Haley:
People are way to self-conscience. Who cares what everyone else thinks.
All that matters is that your happy with yourself
McLain Robertson Hall:
Does not seperating people into all these ethnic groups prolong racism
Daniel Anderson:
It seems obvious that letting the majority decide things is harmful to many
of the minority. What kind of protections do we have for the minority. In fact,
free speech is just opne of theose protections. Ironic.
Michael Nunez:
I agree Zulema,be proud!!!!!!...
Ritu Singh:
i agreee with michael.
Zulema Marie Vasquez:
No!
Kent Park:
Michael, NO!! Geez, listen to what I'm saying people. Yes,
minority should exist because they come up with the new ideas like slavery is bad.
BUT the majority is the one that must act. They have the power to change things
because they are the majority!
Richard Vu:
but what if society is wrong. Back in the 20's everbody thought drinking was bad
so we had probihtion that lead to the Mafia. was society right in that.
Ricky Sung:
Political correctness is very stupid, and it complicates the language uses of today.
Nick Hildebrandt:
Michael- Why would the majority vote to forbid chocalate's production.
Majority rule works in real cases to decide what government should do.