Once again, common sense prevails on a university campus where an overreaching, politically correct administrator tried to ban Christmas decorations from commons areas.
You just knew the memo from Florida Gulf Coast University President Wilson G. Bradshaw, dated Nov. 20, would be short-lived. It said, in part, "Public institutions, including FGCU, often struggle with how best to observe the season in ways that honor and respect all traditions. This is a challenging issue each year at FGCU, and 2008 is no exception. While it may appear at times that a vocal majority of opinion is the only view that is held, this is not always the case. Please know that there is no attempt to suppress expression of the holiday spirit. Each employee is welcome to display seasonal items at your desk, allowing your workspace to provide an opportunity for individual expression of beliefs. Common use areas on campus should remain undecorated." (Our emphasis.)

Bradshaw's memo was indeed an attempt to suppress expression. And he reversed course on Nov. 26. "Please know that trying to adhere to tenets of political correctness was not the basis for the earlier decision, but rather attempting to achieve a difficult balance," Bradshaw wrote in his second memo.

Bradshaw learned a lesson that it seems is taught, sometimes painfully, at some university campus every year. It is that administrators have no duty or obligation to achieve balance in political expression or free speech. There doesn't need to be one menorah for every Christmas tree on campus just like there doesn't need to be one "Barack Obama" campaign sign for every "John McCain" campaign placard. Just give everyone the same freedom of expression and get out of the way.