OKC School Board Member Doesn't Respect Freedom of Speech

"Some members of the Oklahoma City school board don't believe public input is needed before deciding whether to change the names of three schools named for Confederate officers," the state's largest newspaper editorialized today. "Fair enough."

One member took that stance further, saying at a recent board meeting that some people's viewpoints simply should not be heard. Carrie Coppernoll Jacobs said inviting the public to speak would be “a platform for hate” and that some comments she has received about this issue have been “flat-out racist.” Those people “don't get a platform in a real conversation about the future names of those schools,” Coppernoll Jacobs said. She added that since this is a divisive issue, “I think it's going to attract people who don't have the right to be part of the conversation.” Don't have the right? Really? She might want to bone up on a subject we hope the district's students still learn about in school: the First Amendment.