CSU missed teachable moment

The editor of the Colorado State University student newspaper will not be fired over the now-infamous editorial about President Bush. The Denver Post filed this story about J. David McSwane, who was admonished, but not fired. As much as McSwane and his colleagues would like to hide behind the First Amendment, free speech is not at issue here. If it were, the members of the editorial board would be calling their parents for bail money.

CSU administrators had an opportunity to teach McSwane a lesson about responsibility. Sadly, the school dropped the ball, leaving angry students as the only real consequence. If McSwane chooses a career in the media, he will quickly discover how little "freedom of speech" writers have. In the real world, it's about audience expectations and the sensibilities of those reading the paper every day.