This commentary is a response to “Doctor well within his rights to publicly criticize law,” which ran in The Daily Cougar on Monday.
I disagree with The Daily Cougar editorial board’s decision to applaud Dr. Jack Cassell, the urologist who posted a sign on his door advising supporters of President Barack Obama to seek medical care elsewhere.
While Cassell can certainly exercise his right to free speech, is this really the sort of hyper-partisan vitriol we should be applauding?
The board defended it as a free speech issue, but the “outraged” people criticizing Cassell have as much of a right to express their opinion as he does.
Free speech is a two-way street, after all. Cassell has a right to say idiotic things, but we reserve the right to point them out as idiotic.
Furthermore, if conservatives saw a sign outside their workplace that read, “Palin supporters need not apply,” outrage would be appropriate, even if the employer later gave a back-peddling interview on CNN where he claimed, “Well I won’t really turn them away.” Wink wink, nudge nudge.
What Cassell represents is the worst elements of divisiveness and rabid partisanship that currently exists in the country, and I hate seeing it infect The Daily Cougar’s staff.
As a hesitant and reluctant supporter of the health care bill, I don’t appreciate being called an ignorant “Yes” man in the editorial, and I hardly think the grand majority of free-thinking liberals and independents on campus who support the bill appreciate it either. The editorial said it was patriotic to express dissent, and that’s exactly what I’m doing here.
I simply hope that it doesn’t stop being patriotic as soon as I dissent from the paper.
Julio Penaloza is an English major and may be reached at [email protected]
