In Theory:

A Los Angeles City College student sued the college recently after his professor allegedly called him a “fascist” and refused to let him finish an in-class speech opposing same-sex marriage. According to the student, who is a Christian, the professor told him to “ask God what your grade is” and threatened to expel him when he complained to campus authorities. Some of the students’ classmates were reportedly offended by the speech, however, and the dean quoted one of them accusing the student of “preaching hate in the classroom.” Should students always be allowed to voice their religious views in class, or do comments of this nature ever cross the line into hate speech?

?

I believe students should be free to voice relevant religious beliefs in class as long as they are presented in a courteous, thoughtful manner. I fail to see how expressing opposition to same-sex marriage can be considered hateful in itself. There are legitimate opinions on both sides of this issue, and individuals on opposing sides of the debate should have an equal opportunity to state their views.

In this particular case, we don’t know the specifics of what the student said in the classroom. Based on the reports from his fellow classmates, he probably didn’t show much sensitivity toward others in his class and therefore bears some responsibility for this unfortunate incident. In any event, however, the teacher failed miserably in his responsibility to maintain a constructive academic atmosphere; he was clearly wrong in using a harsh term like “fascist” and advising the student to ask God for his grade.

There are many appropriate ways to deal with a student whose remarks are out of line, but name-calling and mockery are not among them.

What bothers me most about the discussion surrounding the issue of same-sex marriage — including the ongoing controversy over Proposition 8 — is that mutual respect and civil dialogue seem to have been discarded in an effort to demonize the opposing camps. As a nation, we must restore basic decency to our political arena and strive to ensure that our public discourse doesn’t degenerate into a shouting match. We ought to realize — and appreciate — that we are a people of many faiths, views and cultures.

RABBI SIMCHA BACKMAN

Chabad Jewish Center

?