How far do we go to not offend?

In Chad Sokol’s article (“Professor: MAGA hat symbol of racism,” July 11), Jonathan Turley, a Georgetown University professor of law, pertinently points out the fact that the MAGA hat sends a different message to different people.

While the professor, Jeffrey Omari, saw a provocative racist gesture in the donning of the hat by a student, my first thought after reading the article was to wonder if the student had doffed his hat upon entering the building, following Emily Post’s rule of etiquette not to wear a hat indoors. That said, the student should have left off the hat until the class was over.

But my next thought was to wonder how far we are willing to go in squelching freedom of expression on fabric after hearing a second-hand news story about a city council in Minnesota that has stopped opening meetings with the pledge of allegiance because it might offend people in that city who are of the Muslim faith.

Judith Maibie

Spokane