A correction has been made to this article.

In the vol. 5, issue 13 edition of The Flipside, there was an article published that has caused an uproar amongst the campus community. The article in question described the author’s views on women, which were misogynistic and crude. At the end of the article, the author writes he would only have sex with women who find his article offensive if they were unconscious, implying rape. Students have started a petition voicing its displeasure with the article.

The article is undoubtedly in poor taste. Even ignoring the last offensive comment, the rest of the article is difficult to read because of its abrasive views on women. But the question is not whether this was an acceptable or even a good piece of writing – the real issue is whether the author should have been censored from writing his article. Unequivocally, he should not be prevented from writing this article or any future articles that may be as offensive, or more, as this one.

This country’s right to free speech is not meant to protect widely held opinions, but rather those the majority of the population would disagree with, such as the ones found in this Flipside article. The point of protecting free speech is to encourage public discussion, which this article has done. There has been discussion on what exactly sexual assault and rape is because of the contents of this article, which benefits the campus community as a whole.

On the topic of students’ segregated fees funding The Flipside, no one should be outraged their money funds articles such as this. Students have known for years that The Flipside will publish anything people submit and have ran articles as or more offensive than the one in question. Incoming freshmen are informed when they sign their tuition papers their segregated fees will be used to fund various campus groups, so no one can claim ignorance about where their money is going.

The Flipside provides an important avenue for students to have their writings published. Many interesting, thoughtful articles have been published in The Flipside, far outweighing the handful of offensive ones that have seen the light of day. To punish and censor The Flipside because of one tasteless article would be wholeheartedly wrong.