Martyr me, please.

• Author: Carson, Ed

Campus lefties try to stamp out alternative viewpoints, but end up looking stupid.

Two-years ago, I was editor of the Oregon Commentator, a bi-weekly libertarian/conservative magazine at the University of Oregon. The year was winding down when we learned that two students active in student government were planning to charge our publication with racial and sexual harassment.

Were we scared, cowed? No. We were ecstatic. We were never worried that we'd get in actual trouble, and the lawsuit would give us a golden opportunity to show that the campus was dominated by leftists intolerant of other opinions. We figured if we played our cards right, we could get press coverage from across the country, maybe even a Wall Street Journal editorial. The ACLU would rush to our defense, and conservative foundations would shower us with money for our courageous stand.

Now, we didn't want the sensible lefties and liberals to stop the two students from moving forward, so we kept quiet. But we did have T-shirts printed up with the First Amendment on the back in anticipation.

Alas, the lawsuit never materialized, and our dreams of fame and fortune died with it. All we had were some cool Commentator T-shirts. But not all campus magazines are so unfortunate. We were relying on two fringe characters acting on their own. At Northwestern University, the whole student government piled on.

At Northwestern, student organizations distribute fliers and publications door-to-door in the dormitories. This past April, the Student Senate passed a measure ostensibly designed to address litter problems in the dorms. The rule was neutrally worded: Any publication that comes out at least three times a school year would be required to pick up unwanted copies within 24 hours and must not deliver to the doors of residents who state in writing that they do not want that publication. The rule, in effect, exempted fliers and doorknob notices. In fact, the only organization affected by the new restrictions was the Northwestern Chronicle, a conservative student newspaper published weekly during the school year. Naturally, the Chronicle cried foul.

"We objected because it was a punitive piece of legislation aimed specifically at us, "says Chronicle Editor Run Witteles. "This shows that campuses today are still where freedom of speech and freedom of dissemination of views aren't welcome."

Door-to-door delivery is a critical part of the conservative weekly's success. Getting 6,000 copies...