Thursday, September 25, 2003

You Can't Talk: Some conservatives at Southern Methodist University got in trouble for throwing an Affirmative Action Bake Sale. To protest colleges' taking race into consideration for admissions, the students took race into consideration when charging for cookies and other baked goodies. White men had to pay $1.00, white women could pay $0.75, Hispanics could pay $0.50, and blacks could pay $0.25.

This, as you might expect, generated a heap of controversy. Women and minorities were incensed. The university decided to shut down the protest.

But why? I've seen liberals protest through bakery goods. When Ward Connerly (a University of California regent who has fought against affirmative action and who is black) spoke at my college a long time ago, protesters were giving out Oreos (a not-so-subtle jab at Connerly) and sandwiches made of nothing but mayonnaise spread between slices of white bread with the crusts cut off (everything's gonna be all white).

Nobody shut that protest down. I am a strong supporter of affirmative action. But I'm an even stronger supporter of free speech. I disagree with what the Young Conservatives of Texas have to say, but I'll fight to the death for their right to say it.

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