EDITORIAL: Deeds, Not Words

If she really wants to dis-If she really wants to dis-tance herself from her pre-If she really wants to dis-tance herself from her pre-cecessor, Interim PresidentIf she really wants to dis-tance herself from her pre-cecessor, Interim PresidentClaire Fagin must take actionIf she really wants to dis-tance herself from her pre-cecessor, Interim PresidentClaire Fagin must take actionthe speech code now:If she really wants to dis-tance herself from her pre-cecessor, Interim PresidentClaire Fagin must take actionthe speech code now:_______________________________ In fact, it may become one of the words found to be taboo according to Section II of the University's Racial Harassment Policy (a.k.a. "the speech code"). At a student dinner in the Upper Quadrangle Monday night, Interim President Claire Fagin discussed her promised decision about suspending the University's speech code. One of the reasons she cited for taking this step was her aversion to being lumped with former President Sheldon Hackney's now legendary spinelessness. "I don't want to be a wimp. Already, people are associating me with Hackney, calling it the Fagin-Hackney era. I would like to have my own era, if only for a year," she said. Fagin is absolutely correct. She took the post of Interim President, not Acting President for a reason. She wanted to actually be a leader, not a warm body filling an empty seat. The clearest example of Fagin's leadership was her announcement on September 21 that she was considering suspending the University's speech code. Fagin explained that she wanted to hear feedback from the University community on the issue, and she would make a decision in mid-October. Fagin rationalized her delay by saying that the issue is "emotional" and "painful" to many students on campus. She added that in light of the bomb threats to DuBois House, the issue of regulating speech can not be debated rationally. "I just don't think this is going to be decided happily. I want to have a compromise, but whatever it is, it won't be considered a compromise [by either side]," she said. Fagin may want to distance herself from Hackney, but with statements like these she sounds scarily like him. As President, Fagin can not and will not be able to make any decision, especially bold ones, without offending some segment of the campus. Whether a decision is arrived at "happily" or not, a true leader makes the tough call no matter what the consequence. We commend Fagin's compassion, but leaders do not use compassion as an excuse for inaction. It is now November 11, and time for Fagin to re-assert her leadership and to take action on her promise. Free speech is too vital an issue to all of us to keep under wraps. A quick decision by Fagin will put the immediate issue to rest, and allow all of us to focus on ways to strengthen Penn without limiting the unfettered exchange of ideas. We implore Fagin to take such a step. Stalling and ducking the tough decision will only undermine her credibility, hurt the University, and place Fagin ignominiously next to her predecessor, Francis Sheldon Hackney.

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