Hate speech vs. free speech

At my 1983 Brown University baccalaureate, the chosen speaker was from what was then called the Third World Organization. He was allowed to use the occasion to spew his opinions about Israel and ended with the declaration that Zionism was racism. Since Israel is the Jewish State, there is no tiptoeing around the antisemitic message. I was among many Jewish students that day who had to endure vitriol on what should have been a milestone celebration. Hate at universities is not new, but until there’s a distinction made between “free” speech and “hate” speech, students, and faculty who support them, have no reason to stop their behaviors.

IRIS SONNENSCHEIN Brookline