The Observer, March 3, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 19
Free Speech Zone: Writing styles irritating, letters and response irresponsible
To the Editor:
I was drawn to two separate items in Volume 38, Issue 18 of The Observer. The first was "Task Force tackles sensitive sexual issues." While I agree that sexual assault is an important and somewhat under-discussed topic, I was irritated by the sophomoric cheerleading going on throughout the piece and by the conspicuous absence of verifiable statistics. Only one actual number was mentioned ("1 in 4"), and it went unattributed. Unfortunately for the author, this "fact" is actually the object of considerable contention, as evidenced by a critique of the study from which it stems at http://www.leaderu.com/real/ri9502/sommers.html. Verifying your stats with an independent source might save you some trouble in the future.
The second item that caught my attention was "Holocaust advertisement offends, flares tempers." Did any Observer representative actually go to the website mentioned in the advertisement? While it certainly contains a very questionable conspiracy theory, I didn't find evidence of the "hate" so vehemently opposed by your letter-writers. Academic skepticism, as far as I am aware, is not the same thing as hate.
What concerned me even more, though, was The Observer's handling of the whole thing. The Case community's ideals do indeed include tolerance for differences in race, gender, religion, and sexuality. Shouldn't they also include tolerance toward differences in ideology and academic opinion? I was deeply disturbed by the last paragraph of the editor's note, which appeared to state that freedom of the press only applies to messages and ideals that The Observer editorial staff support. Do I have this right? You will only print opinions you agree with? Surely I misread! As the newspaper of a private institution, it is, of course, your right to do so. However, I'm reasonably sure that censorship masquerading as responsible journalism is not an ideal of the Case community. I'm also reasonably sure that academic freedom is. Remember S.G. Tallentyre characterizing Voltaire? "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Catherine Vermeersch
Undergraduate Student
