The Brown & White

As sunny days start to pop-up here and there, so do the smokers. Hospitable weather is a salvation for these members of our community. The rest of the year, from November to April, smokers are outcasts, rejects.

Throughout the semester, you will often see the cigarette and cigar aficionados huddle under a small doorway, seeking shelter under battering rain or snappy-cold wind.

Lehigh forces smokers into seclusion every time they want to light one up because a majority of its members disapprove of the habit.

Understandably, some do not want to breathe or smell smoke. They think it reeks, they think it kills. So en-lieu of trying to find a compromise, as some restaurants have, smokers are just chastised.

Last year, Lehigh went a step further and banned all hookahs from campus. Can you imagine? A legal, culturally significant practice prohibited. Some say administrators banned this water pipe because parents visiting campus assumed students were smoking marijuana - God forbid.

Although it is true, some might use water pipes to smoke illegal drugs, most only smoke flavored tobacco. Hookah-users enjoy the social aspects of gathering around a hobby with friends - just as some do with alcohol. Why should this be banned? Because of Lehigh's image?

All these anti-smoking practices go unfettered. But why? Why should the ignorance or intolerance of some parents cause the ban of hookahs on campus - 305 million people in the Middle East can't be wrong.

The banning of smoking grows from the seed of intolerance. This same seed also produces homophobia, sexism, racism and all other forms of intolerance.

The difference between hating smokers and hating Jews, gays or blacks is political correctness. It is not acceptable (nor should it be) to hate someone because of their religion, sexuality or race. On the other hand, it is acceptable in the U.S. to discriminate against smokers.

Religion is a choice, and it kills. So why not ban religion on campus. Why not have a little sign that ask people to pray 15 feet from any building. You never know, someone might hear that prayer and start a fight …

This is a true diversity test for Lehigh.

It is easy to tout diversity on every rooftop when you are defending Jews, Muslims, gays, the poor and other minorities. It takes a lot more conviction to defend unequivocal free association and freedom of speech.

The real question is how much diversity do we want? How much tolerance are we seeking?

Lehigh says it promotes free minds and free discourse. It says true intellectual discourse has no boundaries - the reason for tenure. But as soon as a "bias" graffiti is found, administrators cry wolf. How so?

If we really wanted diversity, should we not also defend the racists, the homophobes and the anti-Semites? Why not invite anti-Semitic heads-of-state to campus, as Columbia University did with President Ahmenijad of Iran? Let us bring some fascist and some atheist. Moreover, let us bring some communists - I get shivers thinking about it.

You can't have your cake and eat it too. Either you have principles or you don't, and if you do, these should be clearly stated, not covered with the blanket term "bias."

After all, anything could be bias. What do you call making people who want to smoke go outside? Smoking is legal, so doesn't Lehigh have a bias against smokers?

If we really want to go down the road of tolerance and diversity, we should first clearly define our morals.

How do we define free speech? Are there limits? What are the dangers to limiting speech? Also, what are our religious freedoms on campus? Is Scientology an acceptable practice? What do we think about Mormons and polygamy? What about animal sacrifice?

To get back to the preface, what do we think about smoking? Should that be banned? Alternatively, can smokers finally obtain a place with a roof and four walls where the can smoke in peace and not feel rejected?

Lehigh needs to consider the limits of tolerance and anti-bias regulation. If not, the whole movement will blow-up like a puff of smoke.