After the theft of almost the entire press run of the last issue of the Express two weeks ago (See related story on page 1), the editorial board gathered to discuss what it meant. A question was raised about whether this act was a violation of the right to a free press, a fundamental right covered under the First Amendment.

The Express, just like any other publication, is protected from acts that would censor the voice of the journalists and editors who create and publish it.

The right to a free press generally concerns the right of the people to form and express opinions without fear of suppression or interference by the government. It represents our right to speak up and be heard on any topic of interest or concern.

The actions of those who removed the papers from the racks a few weeks ago seem less like an act of government (or school-sponsored) suppression, and more like a poorly-thought-out response to something they didn’t like, propelled by either ignorance or stupidity. Regardless of the motive, their actions did create harm.

By removing the papers, they denied the students who wrote the stories and took the photographs the right to be heard. They denied those who were featured in these pages the right to have their stories told. They denied City College students and staff the right to read about what was going on in our campus community. And, perhaps most importantly, they de nied themselves the right to respond responsibly to something in these pages that they didn’t like.

We all lost.