It almost seems unreasonable that these groups' First Amendment rights should be defended. But they must - this is the price we pay for living in a free society. All speech, even that which is so clearly abhorrent to the majority of people, must be protected if we are to preserve the freedoms of all individuals. Legal restrictions safeguard the rights of all speakers and have been used equally to protect the messages of civil rights groups, porn king Larry Flynt, artists and the Ku Klux Klan. Eliminating the speech rights of any one group or individual because their message is offensive may eventually result in the censorship of all groups.
Popular speech is, after all, a relative term.
On a public university's campus, ideas and debate are supposed to be prolific. And the regulation of speech, no matter how repulsive, cannot be permitted. The university's handling of last Monday's situation was fair and careful. UCPD officers and campus officials remained present to ensure the safety of both the students and the protesters. Administrators did everything in their power to provide for the physical safety of everyone on campus.