Artwork © Eric N. Peterson

 

Campus Hate Speech

When did it become
Acceptable to slander
Innocent people?

When was it allowed
To spew hate-ridden speeches
In the name of faith?

In my whole lifetime
I never heard such garbage
Spoken through the Cross.

Why is the divine
Stupidly used to invoke
A pointless loathing?

 

Robert Loren is a graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, with a B.A. in Literary Studies. His collection, The Pessimist Poems, is available for purchase on the Barnes and Noble website.

This piece was written in response to an incident which took place on the campus of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, earlier this year. The dilemma involved a preacher who decided to express his bigoted views towards female and LGBTQIA+ members of the campus community, justifying his offensive words with God. The incident brought with it a discussion on free speech and what could and couldn’t be classified as such, especially with regards to how institutions of higher education approach the problem, considering Cal Poly officials allowed the preacher to visit the campus several times prior. The full article about the event can be found here.

Eric N. Peterson is from Atlanta, Ga. He’s been drawing cartoons all his life. He leans towards the absurd, imaginative, and the surreal, as that’s where all the flavor is.