That's right. Google "Cara Pierson" lately and you will find the Blogging Right up in Second Amendment-protected arms over student opposition to hate speech (which I guess I've become something of a figurehead for).

Blargh. Never mind the fact that I actually have NO interest in "pursuing policy change," as the headline proclaimed. (That's what you get for using the Western Front, our rather ill-reputed school rag, for your sole source.) Who the hell are they to say that comparing people who, say, support Planned Parenthood to the SS and the KKK is not a direct threat? Considering the reality of the SS and the KKK and the reality that people entering Planned Parenthood have been targets for murder in this country, I believe it is.

And did no one catch how racist CBR's* use of images is? To use those images of ethnic genocide alongside doctored photos of fetuses was ridiculous and completely trivialized genocide. If they have to use images from entirely unrelated events to catch attention for their cause, they're really scraping the bottom of the barrel for legitimate arguments. THAT, friends is why many students so pissed off--the insulting appropriation of ethnic genocide. To the CBR people (white, male, privileged), ethnic genocide may be a distant, theoretical thing. But to many, that's a reality their ancestors faced, or that their kin are facing right now in other parts of their world. CBR is adding insult to injury, with no genuine concern for the struggle against genocide.

However, there's nothing we can do to keep ignorant fanatics out of Red Square besides come up with our own, more positive responses, which people did in droves. It was quite wonderful--singing, a free speech board, a giant cloth banner and more.

What I'm working on now, in collaboration with several other students, is developing a team of students and faculty who can respond to future incidents of hate speech, provide a safe forum for open dialogue, and request public statements by administrators saying that they don't support degrading marginalized groups. This approach appears to have been successful in other universities, and I expect it will be highly successful in ours.

* "Center for Bio-Ethical Reform," a particularly disrespectful and ignorant pro-life group.