Islam column spurs conversation

Anna Douglas
Editor-in-chief

One beautiful thing about the freedom of speech, as America understands it, is that when we see or hear expression we disagree with, we have the right to respond.

The response turns the initial expression into a conversation.

If nothing else, The Johnsonian works to spur conservation on this campus.

Some may say Jeremy Gatlin’s column about Islam caused only anger and hurt, not conversation, but I disagree.

I read plenty of comments (some constructive, some not) on our website from readers who exercised their right to counter-speech.

I certainly understand why a reader, of Islamic faith or not, may be upset by Gatlin’s column. Religion is one of the most sacred things to many people on our campus and around the world.   

But if we censor ourselves or other people for fear of upsetting one person or a large group, we are choking free speech and denying everyone the right to express counter-speech and create conversation.

If I were ever asked to rename this newspaper, there’s one name I know of that might work better than the name we have now.

Instead of The Johnsonian, we could simply be The Student Newspaper.

In big, bold white letters on a red rectangle on the front page.

The Student Newspaper sums up everything we want to be.

Students spend long nights pumping out this paper every week.  The content is about, and aimed toward students primarily.

And, when a student has something to say, this paper tries to give them a platform to say it.

We don’t decide whether to run something based on if the writer’s opinion is popular, controversial or representative of the Winthrop community as a whole.

Gatlin met the basic requirement we look for in guest columnists: he is a student with something to say.

If his column has inspired you to say something, I encourage you to write a letter to me at douglasa@thejohnsonian.com.

If you want to have an opinion column published, you should come to our meeting on Sunday at 8 p.m. in the DiGiorgio Campus Center Room 104.