BC faculty want to ban Trump-inspired speech

After suggesting that Donald Trump has “pitted Americans against one another,” Boston College faculty members are demanding a “zero-tolerance policy against hate speech” as well as policies to counter “hatred” that they say was emboldened by Trump’s campaign rhetoric.

In a letter signed by nearly 50 faculty members, signatories accused President-elect Donald Trump of failing to condemn hate crimes against Muslims, non-whites, and the LGBT community “that his campaign emboldened.” They also assert that Trump failed to “unambiguously” disavow boasting about sexually assaulting women and appointed a chief strategist, Steve Bannon, who “traffics in racism, misogyny, anti-Semitism, and other toxic forms of bigotry” on his website.

“In the wake of the presidential election, we as faculty at Boston College declare our unequivocal opposition to racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and all forms of identity-based hatred and discrimination on and off this campus,” the letter states.

Although the letter notes that the faculty believe in the right to have constructive political dialogue, signatories do not believe that Trump’s rhetoric falls under this category.

“We refuse to engage in dialogue or action that sanctions hate speech or bigotry in any form,” the letter said.

To curb the “climate of hatred” the letter called for the university to promise “safety and protection” to groups they believe are now under threat. In conjunction with these policies, faculty members are demanding a statement be released showing empathy and solidarity with these groups.

The faculty members are also calling for policies that support furthering social justice causes and political transformation.

“At stake at this historical juncture are not only the rights of women and minoritized groups, but the future of our planet, the welfare of the poor, and many other matters of urgent concern,” the letter stresses. “We believe that actively addressing such issues of fundamental human importance is at the heart of our work as educators, and we call on the Boston College administration to join us in this effort.”

Campus Reform reached out for comment to multiple faculty members who signed the petition, but none of them responded in time for publication.

Just last week, Campus Reform reported that some professors at the University of New Hampshire called for some Trump supporters to be expelled. These Trump supporters had jokingly worn costumes of Harambe and Richard Nixon at a protest, which several faculty members found offensive. However, the university decided against taking any action.

Several alleged hate crimes that were said to be ignited by Trump’s victory have been deemed false, Campus Reform noted last week.

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