To the Editor:

Reed College's student paper The Pamphlette certainly has the right to decide what articles to publish. Freedom of the press is one of the hallmarks of our free society. Newspaper editors, however, are obliged to exercise sound editorial judgment on a daily basis. The Pamphlette's editors acted irresponsibly by publishing a satirical article reporting that "the staff of a student humor publication at Lewis & Clark College have been accused of rounding up and gassing all of the Jews on their Portland, OR campus."

While the author's apparent intention was to invoke humor, reporting that it would be "pretty funny" to "kill every Jew on campus" crosses the line. Moreover, this is not The Pamphlette's first article with inappropriate references to Jews and the Holocaust.

Campus newspapers, even those steeped in satire, provide teachable moments regarding responsibilities attached to the right of free speech. Words have power and impact beyond the moment. Reed students understand and embrace this concept. Reed's President Diver rightly rebuked The Pamphlette. Now the paper's staff owes the community a written apology and a thorough examination of its approach to humor.