“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech.”

The writers of the Bill of Rights had enough foresight to make clear the importance of each American’s right to free speech. They found it so important, they made it the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Despite its potentially offensive content, free speech gave the Young Americans Foundation (YAF) the right to display a table tent titled “2 Heathers,” an anti-abortion message, on the tables of ISU Dining Service cafeterias.

With each individual’s free speech comes the obligation to accept the free speech of others, be it in the form of an editorial, a protest or a table tent.

As the rules stand, the ISU Department of Residence officials do not regulate table tents based on their content, nor should they ever be allowed to.

Larry Tonderum, secretary to Stewart Burger, director of dining services, is in charge of screening table tents. He gives the Department of Residence’s stamp of approval to almost all tents brought before him, said Carol Petersen, manager of Friley Hall dining services. She said there is a limit of three tents each day, and they are accepted on a first come, first-served basis.

“People have the right to free speech,” Petersen said.

But if there is ever a question of whether something is too offensive or inappropriate for food-service tables, Petersen said Tonderum gets advice from others in the department, and sometimes ideas do not get approved.

With this open system, some people will get offended.

“2 Heathers” was one that generated several complaints, Petersen said.

On the tent, cartoon teenagers named Heather became pregnant, one giving birth to her baby and later killing it, and the other having a partial-birth abortion. Both deaths occurred about 30 months after conception.

While the content on the table tent is shocking and could perhaps turn some stomachs while dining, the Department of Residence should not begin banning table tents displaying potentially offensive, graphic messages.

YAF certainly could have used better judgment in selecting images for display while people are eating — it shows the profile of a fetus in a woman’s uterus — but the group had every right to distribute its message in food service.

If the department is going to allow table tents at all, they cannot be regulated by their content. Political messages are common on the tents, and students have the option of removing the tents from their tables or setting them face down if they suspect the message will be too disturbing or explicit to view while eating.

Iowa State Daily Editorial Board: Sara Ziegler, Greg Jerrett, Kate Kompas, Carrie Tett and David Roepke.