The most recent and explosive news in the central time zone is the termination of the SAE Chapter at Oklahoma University and the expulsion of two of its students. A racial chant was caught on tape and then leaked. Two students’ actions stood out among the rest and OU’s president, David Boren, expelled them. As always, the issue is not so black and white. What happened has branched off into a debate about whether or not Boren disregarded the first amendment by punishing the students responsible. The first amendment protects one’s freedom of speech, even if what is said is racist or offensive.

I support Boren’s decision for several reasons. If he did not take action, the school would have caught heavy fire from the media and would be tagged as racist. Also, there would have been much racial tension among students, possibly leading to more problems down the road. Lastly, if the school did not enforce its rules and stand up for its beliefs in this particular case, more incidences similar to this one could be thought acceptable by other students. Boren made a decision that he believed would best help his school and one has to respect him for putting his foot on the ground and making a tough executive decision.