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Bob Kyle of Denver writes:

Yes, The Rocky Mountain Collegian’s four-word editorial did bring attention to the subject of freedom of speech. What many, including editor J. David McSwane, does not realize is that freedom of speech, like most freedoms, is not an unlimited freedom. Perhaps chief justice John Marshall said it best in his opinion that freedom of speech does not permit one to yell "fire" in a crowded theater.
And it has also been pointed out that one person’s rights ends where another’ s begins. Parents, who send their children to CSU, have a right to expect they will not be exposed to a student publication boldly printing a word seen in publications better kept under the counter in reputable bookstores.
Equally disturbing, is CSU journalism instructor, Pam Jackson, who defended the use of the F word.
Mr. McSwane should not be fired, or suspended, but instead be required to repeat the journalism class on ethics and standards.

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

" ...a word seen in publications better kept under the counter in reputable bookstores."

You don't read much, do you, Bob? Try expressing that opinion in a reputable bookstore so they can see what a true freak looks like.

I agree with the writer that McSwane should have been fired and also with his comment about free speech. It's a shame we have mental midgets on the forum like 02:10PM but the forum is not like a student newspaper and it collects a lot of garbage.

Yes Mc Swane should have been fired, but not for using the F word. He should have been fired because as an editor he should have been able to come up with a more persuasive agrument against Bush. We all know Mr. Bush has provided ample fodder for critics. Is that the best that he could do? Oh by the way, the shock value of the word has been gone for about twenty years. Check out Robin Williams on golf if you don't believe it. Mr. McSwanne shows himself to be a mental midget. That's why he should be fired.

Boy O Boy! Wow!

Eight - count em, 8 (!) - new opportunities to beat this dead horse some more.

That must be some kind of record, even for the RMN.

The McSwane "Editorial" shows the intellectual and emotional retardation of the modern 21st century American liberal. Rather than being able to engage in real debate, or to make a legitimate assault on the policy or ideas of a public figure, they have been reduced to behaving like spoiled foul-mouthed children. McSwane can't legitimately debate an issue, or even identify the appopriate target for debate, in this case John Kerry and the security staff at the event in question. Instead, all he can do is come up with a sad excuse for a one liner, laced with a word that no respectable human being would use. The fact is that modern liberals cannot defend their position, so they resort to all manner of attacks on their opponents. In the immortal words of Tom Lehrer, they "are unfettered by such things as good taste." McSwane and those like him cannot even piece together a cohesive defense of their compatriot, so they take a cheap and entirely inappropriate swipe at the president, even when he had nothing to do with this event. In the end, the death of intellectual honesty, free thought, civil society, and public debate will come not from the conservative end of the spectrum, but will arise from the mental sludge that characterizes the modern liberal left.

P.S. If McSwane wants to be tazered, I would be happy to oblige.

Pittman,

You obviously haven't been reading this blog for any length of time. Thus, you have missed the wonderful displays of "intellectual and emotional retardation" (your words) of such prominent Republican/"conservative" spokes-persons as "An American"; the little boy who posts a string of nasty slams and insults - often including profanity - whose name begins with "K"; someone named "Hank"; "Uno"; and a host of that claque who always remain anonymous, since they only parrot the worst of what has been said by those named.

To the contrary of your argument, sir - or madam as the case may be - the liberals here generally post excellent, well reasoned, and quite comprehensive material concerning their positions. And, these are most generally met by the kind of "sad excuse for a one liner, laced with a word that no respectable human being would use" (yours words again) from one or more of those spokes-persons for Republicanism/"conservatism" mentioned above.

What makes this forum so much fun is to read all the "pots" whining and crying about how the "kettles" behave; and those whines and cries from the Right-wingnut (crack)-pots are really the most amusing.

Thank you for adding to the fun.

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