England was also at that time a world leader in preserving freedom of speech. This is no coincidence. The antislavery forces took full advantage of this freedom, igniting a fierce national debate that burned and scorched for decades, until they won. There would have been relatively little discussion, and no action. Censorship is always good for the status quo.
Silence is stagnation.
The best way to empower students in the long run is educate them well, to enable them to think critically and rigorously, rather than come to preordained conclusions on issues of social justice. For this they need teachers who are free. For these reasons, we are asking everyone, not only faculty but students as well, to think seriously about revising or eliminating our broad, vague, and oppressive code. Donald Downs is Professor of Political Science at U. W. - Madison and has written extensively on legal issues, especially those relating to the First Amendment. Lester H. Hunt is Professor of Philosophy at U. W. - Madison and has written extensively on ethics and political philosophy.