Petitions are about free speech, not free porn

Dear Editor,

After reading your article, “Thousands approve call for special election,” in the Nov. 14 issue, I was struck by one comment in particular. You quote Vice President External Samantha Peterson, exclaiming that she has a hard time believing that 2,600 students want to see John Muir College senior Steve York have sex. Miss Peterson seems to be under the impression that the 2,600 signatories signed the petition out of a desire to see Mr. York copulate on-screen.

I think this comment reveals the gross misunderstanding many people, including Peterson, seem to have of this situation. Support for the special election petition or for Student-Run Television’s return is being lampooned as nothing more than the desire of wayward porn addicts who want to see more nudity on television. Rather than being recognized as primarily a defense of free speech, and an objection to the A.S. Council’s capricious exercise of power, many individuals would prefer to marginalize these words of protest by insinuating that they are simply based on a desire to observe sexual acts.

I personally think Mr. York’s segment was rather unappealing, and I find his actions disagreeable on several counts, including, but not limited to, the lack of prophylactics and his choice in women. However, I strongly support freedom of speech and recognize that my personal distaste for an idea or action does not justify censoring it. This is an important concept that certain members of the A.S. Council and the UCSD administration do not seem to grasp. Furthermore, I wish to remind Peterson and others that defending an individual’s right to freedom of expression does not necessarily entail support for that particular viewpoint or action. The protests of many of the petition signatories are based on a passion for defending the principles that allow for a diversity of ideas and for countering what is seen as a rash decision based on personal whims rather than a careful and objective analysis of the issue.

— Carlo E.

Sixth College junior