every time these silly things happen, someone has to scream freedom of speech.

learn what the hell freedom of speech is before you just go running saying something you obviously have no understanding of. its embarrassing.

someone getting fired, kicked out of school, or kicked out of anything is not violating anyone's freedom of speech. the government sending you to jail, killing you, creating a law preventing you from saying what you want is a violation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think this is a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech. It is a public university. Speech is in fact protected. Was it speech or conduct? If you expel for this reason, you are creating a dangerous precedence for campuses, where speech should be protected even if you find it reprehensible.

That said, why fight it if you are the student? Costs money and time, and just tells everyone you are a racist ahole.

It's not a violation of freedom of speech. Saying that you'd rather see someone hanging from a tree before having them in your campus organization is grounds for punishment. Does that make sense?

look, a song is speech. they were not assaulting minorities. I think the kids were drunk scumbags, but it was speech. and it IS protected by the First Amendment. The bill of rights means something. I hate what they said, but they are allowed to say it and the state cannot punish it.

Yes, the Bill of Rights means they aren't being charged with a crime and going to prison for their speech.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think this is a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech. It is a public university. Speech is in fact protected. Was it speech or conduct? If you expel for this reason, you are creating a dangerous precedence for campuses, where speech should be protected even if you find it reprehensible.

That said, why fight it if you are the student? Costs money and time, and just tells everyone you are a racist ahole.

It's not a violation of freedom of speech. Saying that you'd rather see someone hanging from a tree before having them in your campus organization is grounds for punishment. Does that make sense?

look, a song is speech. they were not assaulting minorities. I think the kids were drunk scumbags, but it was speech. and it IS protected by the First Amendment. The bill of rights means something. I hate what they said, but they are allowed to say it and the state cannot punish it.

Who's punishing...last I checked no one was charging them with anything or locking them up in jail.

The first amendment is not just about jail, it's about interference.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think this is a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech. It is a public university. Speech is in fact protected. Was it speech or conduct? If you expel for this reason, you are creating a dangerous precedence for campuses, where speech should be protected even if you find it reprehensible.

That said, why fight it if you are the student? Costs money and time, and just tells everyone you are a racist ahole.

I am not sure you guys understand that a public university can make rules that certain types of speech is prohibited on campus or at school sponsored events.

Let me make this a little easier. Do you think that students could and should sing this song at a public HS?

Speech that advocates violence or is likely to incite violence has generally been held not to be protected. If I am OU, I tell them to sue me.

Damn straight

Some of you are missing the point. It's not the use of the n-word that got them expelled. People use it every day and there's no law against it. It's the reference to having a n hanging from a tree before joining their fraternity that is of concern. The n-word usage just makes a more enticing headline.

What was chanted on the bus is NOT AT ALL like singing along to a rap song.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think this is a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech. It is a public university. Speech is in fact protected. Was it speech or conduct? If you expel for this reason, you are creating a dangerous precedence for campuses, where speech should be protected even if you find it reprehensible.

That said, why fight it if you are the student? Costs money and time, and just tells everyone you are a racist ahole.

It's not a violation of freedom of speech. Saying that you'd rather see someone hanging from a tree before having them in your campus organization is grounds for punishment. Does that make sense?

look, a song is speech. they were not assaulting minorities. I think the kids were drunk scumbags, but it was speech. and it IS protected by the First Amendment. The bill of rights means something. I hate what they said, but they are allowed to say it and the state cannot punish it.

Maybe so....but it is also true that what they said also violated the student code that was adopted by the university and ratified by the student government elected by the students. Violation of the student code can result in expulsions. If I am OU, I argue that when you enrolled you agreed to be bound by the student code and you were attesting that you knew what was in it. You were expelled because you violated the student code. Do you really think that a court wants to start parsing student codes for potential Constitutional violations?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think this is a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech. It is a public university. Speech is in fact protected. Was it speech or conduct? If you expel for this reason, you are creating a dangerous precedence for campuses, where speech should be protected even if you find it reprehensible.

That said, why fight it if you are the student? Costs money and time, and just tells everyone you are a racist ahole.

It's not a violation of freedom of speech. Saying that you'd rather see someone hanging from a tree before having them in your campus organization is grounds for punishment. Does that make sense?

look, a song is speech. they were not assaulting minorities. I think the kids were drunk scumbags, but it was speech. and it IS protected by the First Amendment. The bill of rights means something. I hate what they said, but they are allowed to say it and the state cannot punish it.

There are excpetions to free speech under the First Amendment. Generally when the goverment is providing an education, certain speech can be restricted. Now, the benchmark case for this has been help to apply from K-12, but I think the school has a strong shot. Arguably, it is not the N-word that is the "problem." It would be the lynching references

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think this is a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech. It is a public university. Speech is in fact protected. Was it speech or conduct? If you expel for this reason, you are creating a dangerous precedence for campuses, where speech should be protected even if you find it reprehensible.

That said, why fight it if you are the student? Costs money and time, and just tells everyone you are a racist ahole.

It's not a violation of freedom of speech. Saying that you'd rather see someone hanging from a tree before having them in your campus organization is grounds for punishment. Does that make sense?

look, a song is speech. they were not assaulting minorities. I think the kids were drunk scumbags, but it was speech. and it IS protected by the First Amendment. The bill of rights means something. I hate what they said, but they are allowed to say it and the state cannot punish it.

Who's punishing...last I checked no one was charging them with anything or locking them up in jail.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think this is a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech. It is a public university. Speech is in fact protected. Was it speech or conduct? If you expel for this reason, you are creating a dangerous precedence for campuses, where speech should be protected even if you find it reprehensible.

That said, why fight it if you are the student? Costs money and time, and just tells everyone you are a racist ahole.

It's not a violation of freedom of speech. Saying that you'd rather see someone hanging from a tree before having them in your campus organization is grounds for punishment. Does that make sense?

look, a song is speech. they were not assaulting minorities. I think the kids were drunk scumbags, but it was speech. and it IS protected by the First Amendment. The bill of rights means something. I hate what they said, but they are allowed to say it and the state cannot punish it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think this is a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech. It is a public university. Speech is in fact protected. Was it speech or conduct? If you expel for this reason, you are creating a dangerous precedence for campuses, where speech should be protected even if you find it reprehensible.

That said, why fight it if you are the student? Costs money and time, and just tells everyone you are a racist ahole.

I am not sure you guys understand that a public university can make rules that certain types of speech is prohibited on campus or at school sponsored events.

Let me make this a little easier. Do you think that students could and should sing this song at a public HS?

Speech that advocates violence or is likely to incite violence has generally been held not to be protected. If I am OU, I tell them to sue me.

Anonymous wrote:I actually think this is a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech. It is a public university. Speech is in fact protected. Was it speech or conduct? If you expel for this reason, you are creating a dangerous precedence for campuses, where speech should be protected even if you find it reprehensible.

That said, why fight it if you are the student? Costs money and time, and just tells everyone you are a racist ahole.

I am not sure you guys understand that a public university can make rules that certain types of speech is prohibited on campus or at school sponsored events.

Let me make this a little easier. Do you think that students could and should sing this song at a public HS?

And what about that sorority sister filmed clapping along? Wonder if she's racist too or just pretending so the frat a$$holes will like her?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do hope, since they expelled students, they are cracking down on all sorts of 'hate speech' and will expel minorities for saying things about white people and will expel gay people or transgendered people for saying things as well.

So long as the hate speech policy is upheld evenly and fairly, expel away.

I am sure, if there is a video of minorities and gays talking about lynching whites, they will. I am AA and most AAs don't go around singing songs about hurting whites. Most of us really don't talk about you at all.

True. I was in a AA GLO and I cannot remember ever talking about Whites at a function.

Anonymous wrote:I actually think this is a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech. It is a public university. Speech is in fact protected. Was it speech or conduct? If you expel for this reason, you are creating a dangerous precedence for campuses, where speech should be protected even if you find it reprehensible.

That said, why fight it if you are the student? Costs money and time, and just tells everyone you are a racist ahole.

It's not a violation of freedom of speech. Saying that you'd rather see someone hanging from a tree before having them in your campus organization is grounds for punishment. Does that make sense?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do hope, since they expelled students, they are cracking down on all sorts of 'hate speech' and will expel minorities for saying things about white people and will expel gay people or transgendered people for saying things as well.

So long as the hate speech policy is upheld evenly and fairly, expel away.

I am sure, if there is a video of minorities and gays talking about lynching whites, they will. I am AA and most AAs don't go around singing songs about hurting whites. Most of us really don't talk about you at all.

Agreed. I can't think of any time, past or present, in or out of college, that my friends penned to paper or sat down to create and refine a song about hanging white folks from trees.