We, the undersigned, commit ourselves to taking a stand against anonymous character assassination, a culture of gossip, and all other acts of ethical and intellectual cowardice.

We are ardently committed to the principle of free speech. That said, we believe that the right to free speech should be exercised responsibly. We further believe that in the context of a University community, we have an ethical and intellectual obligation to stand by the statements that we make about our peers and the judgments that we pass on their actions and activities. Anonymity may have its place in certain kinds of political speech, journalistic endeavors, and other arenas, but its overuse and abuse is not consistent with the standard of behavior we, as members of an academic community, wish to maintain.

We identify the following specific actions as particularly detrimental to respectful and open dialogue:

• Posting malicious gossip and opinions on online websites. We find the anonymous nature of these postings to be particularly cowardly.

• Defacing or tearing down posters on campus because you don't support the viewpoints expressed by the sponsoring organization and/or the content of the program. We consider this type of vandalism an act of censorship.

• Writing slurs or other derogatory and hateful messages in common areas on campus; bathrooms, lounges, and message boards on room doors.

This type of behavior is antithetical to both the mission and aspirations of our university, and has no place in an institution which encourages civil discourse and celebrates the life of the mind. We hereby pledge to promote a campus environment which celebrates the dignity of all its members, respects dissenting viewpoints, and acknowledges that the diversity of all members of our university enriches everyone's learning. We commit to inculcating these values into our own actions, and commit to speaking up when we see others doing such acts which divide and weaken our community.

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