This may be a new idea to many, but the freedom of speech, as guaranteed in the Constitution, can be limited.

It is often limited by voluntary organizations that can hold their members to a higher standard than an unaffiliated citizen. One example is our very own SIU, which states in its Student Conduct Code from section 1.4:

“All members of the SIU community are held to a higher standard of conduct than those who have not chosen to become a part of the university community.” 

Specifically, the code limits speech by prohibiting the following behavior, from section 2.3.5.1:

“Unreasonable Conduct – Intentional conduct, without a legitimate purpose, which both does cause a person distress or fear and would cause a reasonable person distress or fear. No threat or overt act of violence is required for conduct to be unreasonable.” 

And this from section 2.5.5:

“Disorderly Conduct – Acting in an unreasonable manner which has the potential to disturb or alarm another person or to provoke a breach of the peace.” 

So, as long as you are a student of or employee for SIU, behaving like a racist a-hole is not only ignorant, it is expressly forbidden.

By including these lines, SIU has already made its decision on where it stands on hate speech. Now, it is a matter of these limits being enforced. 

Steve Sawyer, of Carbondale, is an employee at Morris Library.

Join the conversation with us on Facebook and Twitter. Letters to the editor can be submitted to [email protected].