Freedom of speech is a First Amendment right. It is also a right that is hard to achieve and preserve.

Once again, this freedom is being challenged by the residence hall community with its dorm-door policy.

The policy currently states that no student living in the residence halls can decorate his or her door with anything.

This ‘no decorations’ policy was initiated in 1992, when a student posted Nazi symbols on his door.

The only thing on the doors today is a sticker from the Department of Residence that has the student’s name, address and hometown on it. Students are not even allowed to draw a happy face on the sticker or put up post-it notes for friends without being written up for it.

Now, students want to change this policy.

Robert Wiese, president of the Inter-Residence Hall Association, said a proposal clarifies that materials “found to be racially, ethnically or sexually offensive to groups or individuals by a majority of a floor will be removed.”

This proposal still has to go through several officials before final approval.

The IRHA’s attempts for a policy compromise have good intentions, but they don’t address an individual’s right to freedom of speech.

Whether it is a Nazi symbol, a “Playboy” centerfold or an Iowa Hawkeyes football poster, there is always something that will offend someone, regardless of the seriousness of its statement. And students have a right to express themselves. Limits cannot be placed on what is acceptable and what isn’t, without being unfair.

IRHA’s proposal for a compromise denies the very words of the First Amendment. If it wants to change the policy, it should comply to an ‘all decorations’ policy. There’s no in between.