May 14, 2007
It's Theft, It's Inconsiderate, But Does It Violate The First Amendment?
Some Framingham State College students stole almost 1000 copies of the school newspaper. A photo of them was on the front page and some people thought that the young women looked too fat so a few of the people in the photo decided to collect as many copies as they could.
The college spokesman said that it was a childish thing to do and that the administrators were irritated by this. This is a reasonable and appropriate stand to take on it.
The newspaper's faculty advisor, an English professor, said, "the theft infringed on the First Amendment rights of the paper's staff and FSC students".
In 2003 some students who stole multiple copies of the newspaper were required to meet with this same professor and "discuss the First Amendment and its relation to newspaper theft".
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
I'm no expert but the First Amendment seems to clearly state that it prevents the government, not individuals, from attempts to control speech. Perhaps it would be better to lecture them on how stealing newspapers is theft, inconsiderate to other students, and attracts the attention of millions via the Internet to something that would have only been seen by a few thousand. (3,772 undergraduates plus graduate students, faculty and staff)
