how free is speech?

Maybe you've heard the report. Not long ago a student at Los Angeles City College was shut down in a communications class as he gave a speech about marriage. The student quoted from the Bible, but seems his teacher didn't appreciate his point of view and had a few choice words for him. Here's a synopsis from the February 16 LA Times:

A classroom dispute at Los Angeles City College in the emotional aftermath of Proposition 8 has given rise to a lawsuit testing the balance between 1st Amendment rights and school codes on offensive speech.

Student Jonathan Lopez says his professor called him a "fascist b_____d" and refused to let him finish his speech against same-sex marriage during a public speaking class last November, weeks after California voters approved the ban on such unions.

When Lopez tried to find out his mark for the speech, the professor, John Matteson, allegedly told him to "ask God what your grade is," the suit says. Lopez also said the teacher threatened to have him expelled when he complained to higher-ups.

Not all the facts and particulars of the case have been made known yet, but I'm sure we'll be hearing more in the days to come. I was interested in the administrative stance (so far). A spokesperson agreed that this was a very serious charge and that there would be an investigation, but that the student in question had said things that were (allegedly) offensive to some of the students, as if this might justify the instructor's response.

Interesting stance, since I'm fairly certain that had the ideologies of the players been reversed (a religious instructor shouting down a student with a liberal viewpoint), there would be a louder uproar from certain community sectors, and probably the media as well. I'm concerned that the civil rights of those who espouse conservative, religious (particularly Christian) views often have those views easily trodden under by opponents with not a whole lot of concern. And the school's question of offensive speech never seems to be of high priority when such speech runs the other direction. Free speech, in its very concept, may offend some, but we are called on as a "free speech society" to learn to tolerate, dialogue and deal maturely with those with whom we disagree. I believe that to be one of our cornerstone values as a nation, and something about which conservatives are reminded regularly.

I'm looking and hoping for a consistent standard in this case, although I confess that I'm doubtful. It should be interesting to watch, as it may be a kind of measure of just where we're heading when it comes to the rights of all. Keep your eyes open and we'll see what the schools (and perhaps, courts) will say. I've got a feeling we'll be visiting the subject again here. Until then, keep on speaking truth...in love, of course.

And don't worry- one way or the other, it won't go unnoticed.