The Bucknellian

Check out our new and improved website at ww.bucknellian.net!

  • Home
  • About
    • Archives
    • Graduates/Achievements
      • Awards
    • Newsstand Locations
    • PDF Issues
    • Policies
    • Fall 2013 Staff
      • About the Adviser
  • Contact
    • To advertise
    • To join the staff
    • To submit a Letter to the Editor
  • Subscribe
  • Media
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
  • News
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Sports
    • Beyond the Bison
    • Club/Intramural
      • Men’s Rowing
      • Men’s Rugby
      • Women’s Rugby
      • Ski Team
      • Men’s Squash
      • Women’s Squash
      • Men’s Volleyball
    • Men
      • Baseball
      • Basketball
      • Cross Country
      • Football
      • Golf
      • Lacrosse
      • Soccer
      • Swimming & Diving
      • Tennis
      • Track & Field
      • Water Polo
    • Women
      • Basketball
      • Cross Country
      • Field Hockey
      • Golf
      • Lacrosse
      • Rowing
      • Soccer
      • Softball
      • Swimming & Diving
      • Tennis
      • Track & Field
      • Volleyball
      • Water Polo
  • Arts & Life
    • Columns
      • Cooking Corner
      • Humor
        • Rees’ Pieces
        • From the Mind of Wiley Jack
      • Off the Beat and Path
      • Sleeping Around
    • Review
      • Books
      • Campus Events
      • Movies
      • Music
      • Restaurants
      • Television
    • Study Abroad

Hypocrisy inherent in ‘Stop the Hate’ Rally

September 28, 2010 by Eric Soble

By Eric Soble

Opinions Editor

The “Unity Jam: Stop the Hate Rally” held this Monday publicly made a stand against hatred and intolerance in the wider Lewisburg community. This event is increasingly necessary, given the numerous hate crimes against immigrants in rural Pennsylvania.

There are several points that could be made concerning the overall message of this rally. What does it mean to “stop the hate”? Is this a good way to show community and solidarity? How do we reconcile our love of free speech with our commitment to providing a safe atmosphere for all?

For me, the main problem with the “Stop the Hate” rally is that it contradicts its very title by hating those deemed hateful. This obvious paradox is one that is difficult to get past, because transcending the cycle of hate would mean tolerating intolerance.

One way to solve this problem is by separating action from belief and speech. I think we all can agree criminal actions against persons of any color or shape deserve punishment and chastisement.

However, belief and speech are fundamentally different from action. No matter how absurd or offensive speech or a belief may be, they are peaceful expressions, so long as they do not threaten or imply force. We must remember freedom of speech becomes meaningless if it only applies to speech considered “acceptable” to a wide margin of society. This is not a matter of agreeing with such speech, but rather allowing it so the same censorship cannot be applied to any other group.

This freedom presents a difficult problem for those of us who wish to be part of an accepting, tolerant community: we cannot criminalize ideas, yet we wish to discourage hateful expressions of bigotry and prejudice. The solution to this does not come from “stopping hate,” but by encouraging a more open dialogue. If these hateful people were allowed to speak publicly about their beliefs, their positions would automatically be discredited. Everyone should have the right to make him or herself look like an idiot.

“Stop the Hate” starts us in the right direction but fails to make several critical distinctions concerning how to go about this process. It is not enough to proclaim our opposition to hate; we must understand hate as a sentiment to be exposed, not silenced. As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis has said, “sunlight is the best disinfectant.” We cannot solve hate by automatically dismissing it. Like any other learned ideology, hate must be intellectually challenged and discussed.

Filed Under: Opinion

Recent Comments

  • Jennifer on Editorial: House Party excess is a community wide issue
  • Francisca B. Barry on “Breaking Bad” leaves audience in anticipation
  • Lance McDonald on Hip-hop artist storms off Spring Concert stage early in setlist
  • Give Credit Where Credit Is Due on To submit a Letter to the Editor
  • Melissa on Fall 2013 Staff

Like us on Facebook

Check out our Twitter

Check out our Instagram

Tags

Athlete of the week athlete of the year baseball BSG Bucknell Forum Bucknellian sports awards comedy Cooking Corner cross country field hockey football golf harry potter Howard Gardner lecture Lewisburg men's basketball men's golf men's lacrosse men's soccer men's tennis men's track men's water polo national sports NIT People of the Year pool pass project review samek art gallery softball student behavior Study Abroad volleyball Wiley Jack women's basketball women's golf women's lacrosse women's rowing women's soccer women's swimming women's tennis women's track women's water polo wrestling zumba

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2022 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in