BILL ROLFES: IT'S MY RIGHT AND I'LL SPEAK IF I WANT TO

Freedom of speech is a right cherished by most Americans, some more than others. Many people enjoy the idea, but is it the same idea for everybody? No "freedom of anything" is cut and dry freedom. It seems like they all come with a bunch of fine print.

For instance, does Brother Jim have the right to stand out in the middle of the quad and condemn all Greeks and homosexuals to Hell?

Clearly, he is excercising his right to say whatever he wants, but he has gone too far.

If he is trying to spread the word of God, I would judge by the reactions of UM-St. Louis students that Brother Jim's way of teaching is ineffective.

If there is such a thing as freedom of speech, why do people whisper when they tell racial jokes or make fun of others' sexuality (these two seem to be the most sensitive joke topics).

I heard of a judge who once said that you can swing your fists at someone to the point of his nose. Once you cross the line and you hit the guy in the nose, you're violating the law.

When applying the same concept to speech, once somebody assaults another person with words, he has overstepped his right to freedom of speech.

This idea is also a bit complex. I'm sure every religious leader upsets members of his or her congregation because of what he or she says. A priest, for example, may say that a specific type of behavior is sinful, and somebody may not agree. The priest is not at fault because he is not accusing anybody of anything. He is simply describing a situation that is unethical according to his religion.

Brother Jim was making generalizations about people and accusing them of sinful deeds. He said all sorority women are sluts.

Now, I could be wrong, but I'm almost positive that there has got to be at least one member of a sorority who is not a slut. Unless being a slut is a necessary requirement for initiation, Brother Jim is probably wrong on that one.

So, if there is such thing as freedom of speech, I'll excercise my right and say that anyone who agrees with me is intelligent, and anyone who does not agree with me should be shot for the good of the population.