Students For Academic Freedom

Sign Language and the Politics of Fear · 26 October 2004

By Eldad Yaron--Brooklyn College Excelsior--10/25/04

"I'm bisexual," Hailey said, moments after introducing herself to me.

Hailey is a lively and charming person. And along with many other students, she also stopped by BC Students for Academic Freedom's table during Club Fair last month, telling me she had heard all about BC-SAF, and that she had been looking forward to meeting me. She came by immediately after signing up with the Gay and Lesbian club, and she was proud.

We had a great conversation. Hailey is new to Brooklyn College, and, of course this is not her real name, I made it up, and I hope she won't be upset about it when she reads this. The rest, I assure you, is a true story.

When I asked her how she'd found out about Students for Academic Freedom, and what made her realize this is something she wanted to take part in, she told me this: she was walking around campus one day, with a sticker on her bag that reads "Bush Cheney '04." To her surprise, another student, whom she'd never met before, approached her, pointed at the sticker, and said: "this is quite unusual here!" Apparently, that student was impressed with Hailey, telling her she was being very brave for walking around campus with such a sign for everyone to see.

Naturally, George W. Bush is a controversy weeks prior to the upcoming presidential elections. Should it follow, however, that certain views, which happen to be widely popular in the polls, must be kept hidden in college, out of fear of some retaliation from an opposing point of view?

Why is political participation becoming synonymous with conformity? What happened to the idea of pluralism? Does "diversity" take a temporary cigarette break at this very moment when a student needs to think twice about the repercussions of showing up to class with the "wrong" message?

Sadly, the remark Hailey has recently heard represents what some students have already noticed. That on an American campus, in 2004, the most basic First Amendment issues have become an issue of courage, or, rather, an example of politics of fear.

Indeed, this trend is frightening.

Freedom of expression is clearly important to anyone that has ever worn a T-shirt with some graphic statement on it, anything from "Kiss me, I'm Irish" to a Neo-Nazi symbol. While limitations on such expressions of free speech are illegal, that doesn't mean that as the former would be tolerated in class, so will the latter. Why? Probably because in a college environment you're most likely to find sort of an ethical code of conduct that supplements the good old Bill Of Rights, and it can even make sense.

But in some colleges these days, speech codes have evolved into a speech police. For example, the "wrong" type of laughter in the "wrong" circumstances is literally punishable, as a policy, on at least one campus that I know of. You may think that's absurd, yet it's a fact.

So where should that thin line be drawn to define certain expression as acceptable, another as unacceptable? It's a problem, isn't it?

The best way to handle it is this: first, to try to keep limitation on speech and expression to the absolute minimum. Second, to focus on intellectual and political diversity that will ensure a bottom line in which colleges expose their students to a pool of VARIOUS opinions.

At Brooklyn College, Students for Academic Freedom deals with exactly that: we encourage free speech, we discourage censorship of views that are not consistent with your professor's.

What other politically charged signs can be found on Brooklyn College campus? There are many. Are they legal? Yes. Should they be removed? No. Are they appropriate? Maybe.

But most importantly, put together, do they represent a marketplace of ideologies and reflect intellectual, as well as political diversity? No. They do not. In fact, they reflect an alarmingly homogenous faculty, despite a highly diverse student body.

A certain professor on the 5th floor in Whitehead, for example, wants you to know that his efforts for securing a Kerry-Edwards victory are appreciated by, well, Kerry and Edwards. That's why he posted an autographed picture of the two outside his office door, with a message that says just that. One should hope he also helps in securing a fair education in his classroom, and not the indoctrination of students.

Another professor, on the 3rd floor in James, declares that in his office, civil liberties are protected because it is a "Patriot Act Free Zone." Taking such a stand on the controversial issue of the Patriot Act comes across as a bit silly, when you think about it. If the act is the law, no matter how unpopular, this means that it so happens that this professor's office is no exception to that law. So what's the message here? "We're breaking the law in this office and you should do the same"? It's just bizarre, and I'm not sure all too ethical either, but then again, it's a judgment call.

Other signs among many I recently found myself smiling at were the following: A picture of a demonstrating Bush impersonator with a sign that reads "4 MORE WARS!" as part of a Wolfe Institute flyer about an event that discusses "success" and "failure" of protesting against Republicans. I'm assuming the translation is: the more you are able to protest against the current administration, the more successful it is.

Another sign I noticed was an invitation to see the anti-Bush "Fahrenheit 911," by the current events committee, that seems to consider something to be a current event only if it fits the political agenda of its members. But I could be wrong. It's a judgment call. Of course, I haven't noticed them promoting "Celsius 41.11" yet either…

Is it me, or does it seem that, while freedom of expression on Brooklyn College campus is seemingly unlimited, at the end of the day it only represents a certain one-sided political view? Passionate opposing points of view are silenced, and as a result, simply nowhere to be found. OK, maybe not silenced -- simply non-existent, then. What's the difference?

After giving it some thought, I'm becoming convinced that my friend Hailey really is quite a brave individual. If you see her anywhere in campus, please ask her to give me a call.

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