Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

                            Matt Dulin    Barrett Goldsmith    Zach Lee 
                Jim Parsons            Christian Schmidt           Blake Whitaker

Freedom to suppress

Baylor University is a Baptist institution, and not known as the most socially progressive school. So when the editorial board of The Baylor Lariat, the university's student newspaper, runs an editorial supporting gay marriage, it's not surprising there was considerable uproar.

What is surprising is that Baylor President Robert Sloan feels the need to make sure the paper doesn't say such things. Sloan said "we do not support the use of publications such as the Lariat, which is published by the university, to advocate positions that undermine the foundational Christian principles upon which this institution was founded."

You see, Baylor University policy prevents homosexual conduct, and encouraging such behavior could be seen as violation of university policy.

It's almost a cliche, but a university should be a place for the free exchange of ideas. When the president of the university attempts to dictate what the editorial board of a newspaper can and cannot say, that's hardly promoting that environment.

Besides, Sloan seems to have missed the point. Sloan is probably correct when he said, "this position held by five students does not reflect the views of the administration, faculty, staff, board of regents or student publications board, which oversees the Lariat."

Staff editorials reflect only the views of the editorial board. All Lariat editorials (and Daily Cougar editorials, for that matter) have a disclaimer saying that.

If Sloan disagrees with something that appears in the paper, he has the same recourse as any person at the university: writing a letter to the editor. Newspapers enjoy responses from readers, especially ones that disagree with what was printed.

Lariat Editor in Chief Lacy Elwood refused to comment on the issue Monday, but sent a written statement in which she said the board "stand(s) by our decision to address an issue at the forefront of national public debate."

Good for them.


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