Charlatan Editorial
As a student at Carleton, you can expect that while walking through the Atrium, you will be pursued by a variety of groups trying to draw you in to support their cause. But what happens when clubs and societies try to make their point by using disturbing or shocking content?
A pro-life group at the University of Victoria lost their student union funding and club status after students claimed they were being harassed by the group’s actions and posters.
Where is the line drawn between the right to not be offended and the right to freedom of speech?
A university must encourage diverse viewpoints and protect freedom of speech. Restricting expression on the basis of what one person finds offensive is both impossible and unconstitutional.
However, student unions should not fund promotional material used to disturb or harass students. Instead, they should remind clubs and societies that the funds come from student levies and that these students hold diverse views.
The onus should be on student groups to maintain a degree of respect for all students whose money they are spending to promote their cause, without diluting the message.
At the same time, student unions should not play politics with club funding. They have a responsibility to ensure student money is distributed or withdrawn on a non-partisan basis, not based on the political views of whoever holds the purse strings.
Ultimately, a balance must be struck. You can be a pro-life group, but you need to be respectful of other students’ cultures, viewpoints and beliefs.
If you plan on using obscene images, do not expect student union funding. This stands true for all student groups, regardless of their cause.
Campus groups are here to promote awareness for their cause, not to force aggressive messages down people’s throats.
We must cultivate an environment of mutual respect between student groups and the student body. One student’s opinion is just as valid as any other.