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Students at Southern Methodist University are objecting to new rules that will bar displays from a prominent lawn at the center of campus, The Dallas Morning News reported. The rules change became known when the university told Young Americans for Freedom that it could not use that lawn for an annual display of 3,000 small American flags to mark Sept. 11. The university said the group could use another, less prominent lawn. Young Americans for Freedom is objecting and is being joined in its objections by other student groups, across the political spectrum.
Adding to the controversy is the language the university used, and then revised, in its new rules. The original language: "The university respects the right of all members of the SMU community to express their opinions. The university also respects the right of all members of the community to avoid messages that are triggering, harmful or harassing. It is the policy of the university to protect the exercise of these rights." But with students objecting, the university revised the language to remove the "triggering" reference. A new university statement said, "SMU respects the rights of all campus community members to express their opinions, as well as their right to be free from coercion and harassment. The policy has been further updated to better reflect this balance and to remove the poor wording regarding triggering or harmful messages."
