Editor,
I believe it was Spiderman’s dad who said that with great power comes great responsibility. Freedom of speech is powerful and I’m all for it. That’s what makes living in America great. Another thing that makes living in America great is freedom of religion. We all understand free speech and freedom to worship, but this doesn’t give us license to say whatever we want whenever we want.
Today in front of the SUB, a man who called himself “Shawn the Baptist” provided a perfect example of what I mean. While delivering his gospel message he used the word “homo.” I don’t care if he doesn’t like homosexuals. He’s free to dislike whomever he chooses. I doubt I’m the only one who feels this way, but I think that using the word “homo” the way he did — in a derogatory way — is a form of harassment. It’s the same as using the “N” word or similar speech. He continued to tell the UNM community, and not just homosexuals this time, that God abhorred them because they were sinners and that they were doomed to spend eternity in Hell because of the way they lived their lives. He also mentioned that he could never shake students’ hands because they are wicked.
Now, people attend UNM for a number of reasons. I go to learn in a safe and encouraging environment. I go to hear and discuss opposing viewpoints, something that the University should welcome. I don’t go to UNM to hear hate speech and be threatened with fire and brimstone.
UNM should never welcome hate on our campus. Would UNM give permits to the KKK for speakers to shout at its students, faculty and staff? I don’t know, probably not though. So why is it okay for “Shawn the Baptist?” I’ll give UNM the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they didn’t know he would be preaching hate, intolerance and threatening passersby with eternal damnation. I admit that I’m ignorant about the UNM policy for allowing people to speak on campus, but I hope that there is some mechanism that ensures speakers on campus conduct themselves the way students are expected to conduct themselves on campus.
David Luna
UNM student
