The Failed Pacifist

At USC, Free Speech Costs a Buck

The USC campus has restrictions on free speech. They only allow it within certain "Free Speech Zones". Outside of that zone, the University asserts students to not have the right to free speech. Members of the USC Free Culture Club don't like that and decided on a simple form of protest.

In a mild act of civil disobedience, USC Free Culture posted flyers outside of the "Free Speech Zone" that stated simply "This is Not a Free Speech Zone." Our focus was to explore free speech on campus within the given rules (found here) while simultaneously arguing that USC’s controlled definitions of free speech run counter to "the development of human beings and society as a whole through the cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit."

So now the University is threatening to levy a "1$ fine for every flyer posted in violation of policy". Cory at BoingBoing says this is a small price to pay and suggests it might be time to sponsor some more flyers.

Seems like a bargain to me. Maybe we should start a "sponsor a THIS IS NOT A FREE SPEECH ZONE flier" fund -- for $1, someone will laser-print a flier with your sponsorship info on it and post it outside of the USC Free Speech Zone. The $1 will go to paying the fine...

My bet is the fund is set up before day's end.

via BoingBoing and LAist

posted by Doran @ 10:16 AM