Editor,
Regarding the incident with Dr. Berthold, freedom of speech has once again been brought into the spotlight. Many of us, if not all, understand the importance of the right to free speech, but what is free speech?
If we use the right to free speech as our rule, then elementary school teachers would be free to curse in the classroom; strangers would be free to tell our kids pornographic stories; professors would be free to influence our thoughts in whatever way they want. There must be some discerning factor as to what appropriate "free" speech means.
It is maddening to think that there are people who are risking their very right to free speech by abusing it. Freedoms abused are freedoms lost!
The crimes that are abundant in our society have led to increased security cameras, car alarms and locks on our doors. Can't we see that we have locked ourselves into a prison of fear and doubt? What happened to the America that once knew open doors and united neighborhoods?
My hope is that recent events will turn America back to the freedoms on which it was established. To do this, we must not use our freedoms solely for our own benefit. Rather, we must be mindful of the community as a whole.
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Let's not lose our freedoms by abusing them.
Scott P. De Keno
UNM Student
