Campus no place for hate speech

I, along with most other students who attend Everett Community College, would agree that the vibe on campus is generally friendly and relaxed.

However, I found myself very troubled after walking to the campus bookstore on Monday morning. Outside the doors to the most popular building on campus was a table with two men behind it, calling themselves “de LaRouche.” As I approached the table I saw a poster of Obama with a Hitler mustache on it, and as I walked by one of the men asked me how I liked the poster. I heard them talking about how Obama is going to hell, trying to recruit other students into their clan.

I stood there disgusted and confused as to how these people could actually believe Obama is comparable to Hitler, and how he has imposed a mass genocide on the country as they propose he has. I, along with countless other students, am enraged by this group and the images they are displaying as we make our way to class.

The open visitor policy on campus is not effective when a group presents hateful ideas in an intimidating way to young students. I’m completely supportive of freedom of expression, but the line needs to be drawn between free speech and hate speech.

Laura Dietz
Arlington