It goes without saying that John Petroski, the Opinion Editor of The Recorder, has the freedom of speech to offer his opinions--satirical, or not. Many times in the past I have been called upon to defend First Amendment principles. But what Mr. Petroski wrote in the February 7 issue of ?The Recorder" deserves to be roundly condemned as deeply offensive and hurtful. It is a clear violation of responsible journalism and the community standards of this institution, where it is inarguable that rape is not a fit topic for humor or satire, particularly in a campus newspaper largely supported by student fees and intended for the readership of the CCSU community. Rape is a profound violation of body and spirit, and to make light of this, even in satire, is abhorrent.
A free press is a fundamental right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and the courts have continuously upheld the freedom of college newspapers to publish articles without censorship by faculty advisors. I believe that student-run newspapers offer an extraordinary journalistic laboratory and provide an important educational opportunity for students, and I enjoin the faculty and administrators who are working with our student editors to convey the seriousness of this matter and the poor judgment that was exercised in their decision to print such a tasteless and offensive article. We will in the near future gather a group composed of students and faculty to examine the editorial process and to take positive steps to educate students about the damage such blatantly misogynistic and homophobic content causes. While we always want to protect journalistic integrity and First Amendment principles, we need to be sure that students understand that such hateful speech is not protected and simply is not worthy, on any ground, of publication.
Dr. Jack Miller,
President
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