Rock the Boat

by Lucy Farmer, Fused staff writer

The staff of Notre Dame’s student newspaper, The Observer, recently lost their assistant managing editor, Kara King.
King resigned from the staff after taking responsibility for the publishing of a crude cartoon that joked about violence towards the gay community. The students who created the cartoon issued an apology and claim that they were only trying to shed light on the violence towards homosexuals on Notre Dame’s campus.
Whether or not King would have been asked to leave without a resignation is unclear. If she was fired, that would have been the decision of her superiors; the law would not have intervened. Nevertheless, this is a first amendment issue.
What King allowed to happen was fully protected by the first amendment. Despite the fact the fact that it was considered tasteless and vulgar, it was legal. The Observer clearly wanted to protect their image and reputation as a paper.
This brings up the question, how far is too far? Is there a point where respect for others should intervene with a publication? Is there a status quo for material?
The first amendment allows the public to openly discuss and broadcast their opinion without consequence. The individuals on The Observer were trying to make a point and strike a chord with their readers, forcing them to address the issue of violence towards gays. This cartoon has made headline news and forced a resignation while shedding light on a very sensitive subject. That’s what the first amendment is all about.
This law is not a justification for discrimination, but without the right to publish strong opinions and messages the public would be lost. It’s important to continue to publish things that raise eyebrows and cause a riot. These are the things that will eventually make a difference and keep people on their toes.