'Firing Line' takes up 'PC' debate at U.

Is political correctness a thing of the past? According to panelists at last Friday's campus taping of Firing Line, the term is on its way out. The PBS show, hosted by conservative syndicated columnist William F. Buckley, was filmed in the Annenberg Center's Harold Prince Theater. The two-hour program addressed free speech in society. The debate, moderated by Michael Kinsley, an editor of The New Republic, was centered around the resolution: political correctness is a menace and a bore. In his opening remarks, Kinsley noted that the University was a prime place for such a show due to events in the past year concerning free speech on campus. "We are at the heart of the beast today," he said. In their opening remarks, both team leaders made it clear they were prepared for a heated debate of the liberals versus the conservatives. But the debate on this Firing Line was more of a whimper than a bang. Buckley said he is not in favor of stifling free speech or limiting First Amendment rights. "What happened to the water buffalo student hasn't been contained in the walls of the University of Pennsylvania," Buckley said. "It is important to see how unacceptable that case was." Mark Green, New York's Public Advocate, also talked about ideas of free and open debate and not chilling free speech with political correctness. Kinsley noted that the two sides seemed more alike than they thought. "The real menace is not political correctness," Green said. "The real menace is racial discrimination, gender discrimination and homophobia." One question put forward by Buckley's side was whether or not political correctness conflicts with the First Amendment. Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union Ira Glasser countered that political correctness becomes a menace when it is used as a "divide for stifling open debate." "Liberals have advocated using laws to prohibit speech you don't like," he said. "Laws that restrict speech are an abomination." On the other side, Bard College President Leon Botstein said the argument is not about free speech but rather the nature of campus life. He said universities regulate speech all the time in order to maintain an atmosphere where learning can take place. "We [universities] are about truth, standards, equality and civility," he said. "In the street, you can say whatever you want. In a university, you need some codes to uphold our obligation to create a climate where debate can take place. "I'm not suggesting a code of speech but rather a code of conduct. We need an elevation of common human decency." Throughout the debate, Kinsley joked that debaters should be switching sides since there was more agreement than discord. When Botstein asked former Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork if there are limits to First Amendment rights, the renowned legal scholar replied – much to the surprise of the audience – "When speech becomes strictly confrontational, when it really disrupts the college atmosphere then there might be [limits]." After the taping, Interim President Claire Fagin said she was pleased with the show. "To me, it was thrilling to see that the two sides were not really two separated sides," she said. "Many things that were said I think the provost and I are doing. I think it was wonderful for Penn." Some students in the audience agreed. "I think the administration is doing the right thing by encouraging this kind of thing," College and Wharton junior Tyler Dickovick said. "This kind of intellectual discourse is good for the University environment." The episode of Firing Line will air on PBS stations on December 13 from 9 to 11 p.m. At the end of the taping, two shorter segments were filmed to be shown on PBS at a later date. The first was a discussion led by Buckley with six of the panel members. In this session, many of the same themes were touched upon but in a more casual setup. The second segment was also led by Buckley but consisted of a student panel. Buckley's questions during this half-hour program centered around the University's responsibility to teach morals to its students. "It is not the University's role to act as parents," said panelist Richard Ahrens, a Wharton sophomore. "The University's business is to give us an education."