What's the impeachment trial taught us?

Editorial Cartoon

EDITORIAL BOARD

John Harp                Ed De La Garza 
Michelle Norton     Jim Parsons 
 

Wordplay

Every once in a while, one forgets about the many facets of free speech. We spend so much time discussing it and mulling over "What if..." and "What would the founding fathers have done?" that we might easily overlook some dangerous trends threatening our freedom.

Well, such a threat may be developing now, and it comes from one of the most annoying products of the past decade: political correctness.

You may remember the case of the Washington, D.C., official who used the word "niggardly" -- meaning miserly -- and was pressured to resign because people thought he had said "nigger," a racial slur.

After people pointed out that he had no reason to resign, he was re-hired. The case was closed -- right? Apparently not.

From Wisconsin, we have news of Amelia Rideau, an African-American student who was upset when a professor used the word "niggardly" in quoting the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer.

Rideau talked it over with the professor, who explained the definition of the word. But when he used "niggardly" in class again to give the entire group a definition, Rideau left the room in tears because it offended her so much.

Now she is asking the University of Wisconsin faculty senate to adopt a speech code that would discipline professors who make remarks offensive to students, no matter what their intent. Rideau said she prefers that proposal to one that would require proof that a professor was intentionally trying to offend someone with his or her comments.

Well, of course she does. If she was required to give proof that her professor was trying to offend her, she wouldn't have a leg to stand on. But by complaining rather than considering that everything in the world isn't racially motivated, Rideau is making herself the squeaky wheel.

And she is likely to be greased, which is a shame. It is a shame, because it means her professor -- and others at Wisconsin and perhaps across the nation, if this becomes a popular proposal -- will always have to watch what they say for fear they might offend someone.

That means a slew of words will have to be retired simply because people are too ignorant and sensitive to take a little time to find out the truth.

"Asinine" doesn't exactly sound innocent, does it? Too bad -- it's exactly the word to describe this incident.