Page 158 - ThePhoenix1996-97

Thursday. May 8, 1997 - Page 2 COMMENTARY Staff THE SOAPBOX Editor-In-Chief Carolyn D. Bnrnes '99 ~~~:~i~;efi~~~r Adam Dean .. ,------- t~b~~ii:~~te1r~rna~to News Editor Censorship is an ugly thing. Everyone op- teresting letter recently. They' originally they were unaware what they were doing Grant A. Rice '99 poses censorship, right? Maybe not. Last wanted to have me meet with them as a and had no intention to offend. Sometimes Assistant News Editor Wednesday someone decided to abscond with group. Ideclined this invitation because as I will do the same thing to people who are Kate Hampson '00 almost the entire run ofThe.Phoenix. Was Cen- a journalist I feel that any issues surround- humming, Features Editor sorship their motive? And if so, what did [hey ing something published in The Phoenix Second, I have very little contact with Jennifer Vick '98 fear? should be handled through a letter or a guest Deaf culture or Deaf people. My comments Assistant Features Editor Censorship is the realm of cowards and were based on what little personal experi- Nicki Kassotfs '99 those whose ideas are so weak as to be unable "Censorship is the realm ence I have with the Deaf. And in my ex- Editorials Editors to withstand any scrutiny. What has a strong, perience many of the Deaf do make noises Adam Dean '98 righteous individual to fear from the free ex- Erin Howard '00 of those whose ideas are unintentionally, sometimes loud ones change of ideas? The answer is nothing. Noth- which are unpleasant and distracting to the JU~!!O£~w~j!O,Oo ing at all. If the papers were taken to oppress so weak as to be unable hearing. I will admit that using the word the freedom of speech, that is censorship in to withstand any "grunting" may have been a poor choice. Art Editor Mike Puskar '99 it's most raw form. The Nazis used to burn The individual in question was not a Deaf books to prevent the spread of ideas they were scrutiny. What has a student. None the less, it does accurately SUth~~:ro~on~~:;~9§er uncomfortable with. This cowardly theft is no strong, righteous describe what I encountered on the day in better. question and on other occasions. I did not Public Relations Manager One might ask how can a free publication individual to fear from intend on portraying the Deaf as animal like Abbi Rudman '00 be stolen? The answer is very easy. The Phoe- or primitive. If that is how you misinter- Distribution Manager nix is free to every one so long as each person the free exchange of preted it, I am sorry. But one must wonder Rich Suchoski '00 takes a reasonable number. Almost 1,300 is not ideas ? ..Nothing at all. " why you would take a few sentences to- SlaffWrlll'rs reasonable mount for any person or group to tally out of context and ignore the impor- Nikki Bellanger '98 take. As a matter offact it is felony theft. Think tant issues that I attempted to raise? Like Morrison Benjanuutfkl about that, a felony, Even if you avoid prison, editorial. However, I would like to defend freedom of speech, censorship, sexual ha- Dan Callahan '00 Dan Gadd'00 you lose the right to vote. A felony conviction myself. rassment and inappropriate behavior? It John Greene '98 does not impress many employers and you lose To answer your first question, almost seems that you are unable to handle Jim Gross '98 other rights and privileges of being a citizen. I WMCADE, if a deaf student is too loud, I any mention of the Deaf in a less than Faye Ingram '99 Roxanne Ingram '99 hope who ever pulled this stunt thinks it was tap him or her on the shoulder and request complementary light. Maggie Kimura '99 worth it. that they stop. Usually this accomplished Jeremy Lopua-Ou COUriney Risch '99 As an aside, the Western Maryland College through written English. Whenever Ido this Adam Dean is a junior Political Science major. FrancescaSaylor'l)Q Association of Deaf Education sent me an in- the response is usually positive because E·mail at agd001@lIs1.wmc.car.md,us EmilySWn13this '99 CamerollSpeir'97 HeatherWOO