• It is difficult to read what many feel is racist, hateful or immature speech. But there is also grave danger in silencing these views based on the opinion of the editor or editorial staff. What is hate speech to one member of a society is free speech to another. While we might not agree with the letter, we defend the speech's right to a place in our paper. We choose to set the bar as far from self-censorship as is possible.
But, of course, that more or less denies the very function and purpose of an editor, whose job is to make editorial decisions about what material is and is not fit to print. The editors of the New York Times, the Washington Post, the National Review, et cetera, do not have such debates amongst themselves, and they do not print this sort of letter - instead, they throw such letters directly in the trash, because they are obviously pieces of sh*t.