In the mid ‘80s I knew a young lady who was a Senior at Harvard University, who we quaintly referred to as our Yankee friend. She didn’t mind . . .she was proud of her New England roots.  So when she was reprimanded for flying a confederate flag from her dorm room she was amazed by the accusations of racism.

She wondered why only her flag was not allowed to be hung outside her dorm window, when several ANC flags, communist flags and Nicaraguan flags were prominently on display. She said, she might not agree with, and may even be offended by what they stood for, but she wasn’t going to tell them they couldn’t express their opinion. And at the very least, if she couldn’t display hers, certainly the standard should be applied fairly, and they should all come down.

She went on to explain that for her, the confederate flag had nothing to do with the south, with slavery, with any meaning others may attach to it. She said for her it was a symbol of rebellion against government tyranny . . .for example, the kind of tyranny that could tell her she couldn’t express her views while others around her could?

Gee, maybe she had a point . . . Free speech does not guarantee you will like what you hear . . . or that others will like what you say.