When Free Speech Comes with Restrictions
By Laurel McFadden
Staff Writer

Around here, if there's something important to say, there is usually a committee about it somewhere on campus. With our constant discussion of political and social issues, it is often surprising to read about a world where freedom of speech is restricted. Pomona's free-thinking approach of allowing any and all opinions to be expressed makes it an ideal place for an education, but beyond Walker Wall, citizens of the outside world come under fire for methods of expression we've come to take for granted.

Recently in the news, a story came up about a student from a public high school in Michigan who was sent home for refusing to change his t-shirt, which showed President Bush under the title "International Terrorist." It was reported that he had worn the shirt to convey his anti-war position during his presentation of a class assignment comparing and contrasting Bush and Saddam Hussein.

Whereas wearing such a shirt would hardly be cause for comment at Pomona, this student suddenly found himself on national headlines simply because he was denied the right of wearing a shirt that criticized the government.

Although political issues are anything but inconsequential, the reasonable and non-violent attempt of this student to make his opinions known is hardly a matter of civil unrest. School officials said they were concerned about inflaming politicald tensions at the school, where a majority of the students are Arab-American.

America's freedom of speech is no freedom if it can be denied on the basis its potential to get people riled up. It is totally unreasonable and insulting to claim that the sentiments of this shirt, which are far from unusual, would drive students to the point of disrupting a school environment. Students can also passionately discuss current issues without the prompting of a controversial shirt. The shirt is far more pacifistic than other more unruly types of expression.

The fact that the decision to send the student home was based on race is also disturbing. This incident shows discrimination against the youth and assumed immaturity of the high school students, and a more serious bias against the racial diversity of the community; diversity doesn't equate conflict. Pomona's students represent a large span of racial, religious, and lifestyle differences, and despite students' very public practices of free speech, a very comfortable peace is usually kept. By making these kinds of arbitrary rulings in this case, the school's administration only encourages the rise of emotions in those students disturbed about having their right to political expression taken away.

Had the student's shirt expressed a perceived negative sentiment toward a different culture or issue, would the school's response have been the same? Although Arab-American community representatives praised the school for avoiding "potential conflict," political or social expression cannot be expected to be totally acceptable to everyone. The First Amendment doesn't guarantee the right to free speech unless it's controversial. This incident is particularly important and relevant right now, even more reason that students and citizens who wish to take part in their nation's politics should not be silenced.

It is questionable whether the school was within its rights to demand the removal of the controversial item of clothing. Although the student was a minor attending a public institution, a place where the administration is responsible for the education and safety of its students, it is difficult to excuse the silencing of a non-violent, class-assignment inspired mode of political opinion.

The openness of the Pomona environment exemplifies the type of ideal freedom of speech that many wish was upheld in the rest of the nation. In the situation with the high school student, we are shown an example of "free" speech that is not truly free.

To make any kind of positive change in an issue, there must be free exchange of opinion. The case with the t-shirt matters because the current high schoolers might be at Pomona in three, two, even one year's time.

We want our students opiniated and free-thinking. How is that supposed to happen if they're not even allowed to pick out their own clothing beforehand?