Is Free Speech Fading Off College Campuses?
The first amendment to the United States prevents the government from infringing on the right to free speech. College is an institute of education that prepares its student for their futures. Students are exposed to a wide range of experiences and diversity, including different viewpoints. But is there a point where one person’s right to freedom of speech interferes with a student’s wellbeing? Colleges and students should commit to academic freedom as it leads to a more enriching learning experience. Speech and debate is a very crucial part of one’s life. Engaging in speech and debate allows the student to practice listening, learning, and oratory skills. In order to achieve the highest of learning, one must actively participate in speech and debate.
As students enter institutes of higher learning, they should prepare to accept
…show more content…
One of these challenges is being exposed to opposing views. A new trend has arisen where students force their colleges to cancel speakers who share unpopular viewpoints with the students. In April of 2017, a right-wing speaker was set to speak at the University of California, Berkeley. While details on who cancelled, everybody could agree that there were some security concerns with the event. One of the groups who planned the even claimed that the university failed to provide a safe and secure space for the event to happen. The group claimed that “Berkeley made it impossible to hold a lecture due to the lack of assurances for protections from foreseeable violence from unrestrained leftist agitators” (After Back-And-Forth, Ann Coulter Speech Is Off at UC Berkeley, MERRIT KENNEDY). The university referred to the local police for an assessment of the situation. The chancellor of the university explained “Groups and individuals from the extreme ends of the political spectrum have made clear their readiness and intention to utilize violent tactics in support or in protest of certain
Throughout America, people place a high value in their freedom of speech. This right is protected by the first Amendment and practiced in communities throughout the country. However, a movement has recently gained momentum on college campuses calling for protection from words and ideas that may cause emotional discomfort. This movement is driven mainly by students who demand that speech be strictly monitored and punishments inflicted on individuals who cause even accidental offense. Greg Lukianoff and Johnathan Haidt discuss how this new trend affects the students mentally and socially in their article The Coddling of the American Mind published in The Atlantic Monthly. Lukianoff and Haidt mostly use logical reasoning and references to
At this point in a college freshmen’s life, they have been in school for 14 years. Throughout those 14 years, freshmen have learned the Bill of Rights like they’ve learned how to walk and the first amendment the way they’ve learned to talk. The first amendment has been engrained in a child from the first history class in 5th grade, to the fifth history class in 9th grade and the eighth class in their senior year. In those eight years, a student has the first amendment in their head to bring to college and express themselves how they see fit and how they have been socialized to do so. According to Dinesh D’Souza, Stuart Taylor and Tim Robbins freedom of speech has been inhibited and taken out by politics and political correctness and fueled heavily by the societies need for preferential treatment.
Hall, K. (2002, September 13). Free speech on public college campuses overview. Retrieved from http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/free-speech-on-public-college-campuses
Shiell, T. (2009). Campus Hate Speech on Trial. (2nd ed.). Lawrence, KS: University Press of
The First Amendment, usually equated with freedom of speech, affords five protections: Establishment Clause, Free exercise of religion, Freedom of speech, Freedom of press, and Freedom to peaceable assemble. Students (and student groups) in public colleges and universities enjoy full protection under the First Amendment; however, this right depends greatly on the context in which a student might raise a free speech claim. Once an institution creates a limited public forum for a student or group, administration cannot deny recognition to particular student or groups based on viewpoints. Given the great freedom students are afforded, the freedom is not absolute. The courts have allowed administrators to place reasonable restrictions on location, time, and manner of students and groups. In Tinker v. Des Moines, the court made it clear that, students do not “… shed their constitutional rights when they enter the schoolhouse door." To strengthen the importance of free speech on campus the court said, in Shelton v. Tucker “The vigilant protection of constitutional freedoms is nowhere more vital than in the community of American Schools.” These rights allow students to be able to take courses in a wide variety of subject matter, which may include topics often considered controversial. Moreover, student must have the ability to explore and discuss those topics without fear censorship or retaliation.
How much we valuse the right of free speech is out to its severest test when the speaker is someone we disagree with most. Speech that deeply offends our morality or is hostile to our way of life promises the same constitutional protection as other speech because the right of free speech is indivisible: When one of us is denied this right, all of us are denied. Where racist, sexist and homphobic speech is concerned, I believe that more speech - not less - is the best revenge. This is particualrly true at universities, whose mission is to facilitate learning through open debate and study, and to enlighten. Speech codes are not the way to go on campuses, where all views are entitled to be heard, explored, supported or refuted. Besides, when hate is out in the open, people can see the problem. They can organize effectively to encounter bad attitudes, possibly to change them, and imitate togetherness against the forces of intolerance.
Some colleges are considering speech codes and regulations on campus due to allegations of racist speech and harassment. Although the reasons are legitimate concerns, these codes should not be placed on students because they do not only violate The First Amendment, but also promote administrative abuse of power, along with causing students to self-censor their speech, while teaching them to hide and or suppress their unpopular beliefs. There are some such as, Cinnamon Stillwell and Charles R. Lawrence III, which are in favor of speech codes because they consider some of the actions a form of harassment. While others such as, Harvey B. Silverglate, Greg Lukianoff, and Howard M. Wasserman oppose the codes and regulations because they insist that
...that is accepted and listened to. Whether one’s audience is fellow classmates, the school body, or even the board of administrators themselves, every student in a higher institution deserves to be listened to without fear of punishment. Freedom of speech is the main foundational right that kept this country from falling into controlled government because it’s the right to have an opinion, even if it contradicts the “important” people. It is a basic right every citizen should have throughout their life as an American citizen, and more importantly, as a college student preparing for adulthood in a world where their opinions are crucial to society.
Earlier this month in April, student protestors rioted at Berkley University because they did not want certain Conservative guest speakers to be able to give speeches at the university due to some of the speakers comments being inappropriate. According to the nonprofit organization committed to defending civil liberties named The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), "One worrisome trend undermining open discourse in the academy is the increased push by some students and faculty to 'disinvite' speakers with whom they disagree from campus appearances" (The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education). While the protesters were practicing their first amendment right to petition, the students were infringing upon the Conservative speakers freedom of speech which is unconstitutional. Just because the protesters may have disagreed with the speakers comments, does not mean that theys hould have prevented them from being able to express them. This is similar to the novel 1984 because the protestors controlled and censored what was able to be said at Berkeley University, just like how in the novel the Thought Police controlled what citizens said just because The Party disagreed with certain perspectives and didn’t want certain information to be
In the United States, free speech is protected by the First Amendment in which it states, “Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion … or abridging the freedom of speech.” Now, nearly 250 years into the future, the exact thing that the Founding Fathers were afraid of is starting to happen. Today, our freedom of speech is being threatened through different forces, such as the tyranny of the majority, the protection of the minority, and the stability of the society. Now, colleges and universities in the United States today are also trying to institute a code upon its students that would bar them from exercising their right to speak freely in the name of protecting minorities from getting bullied. This brings us into
Students’ rights in schools are limited or just taken away. Kids are forced to do whatever the officials at their school, either the principal or the teachers, tell the students to do. One of the main right that gets taken away or limited is students’ first amendment rights, which is the freedom of expression. Students can gets suspended by just doing things the staff at the school does not like, including saying things that they don 't like or supporting a religion that the school does not support. Also, if something is said about the school or the people attending the school is said on social media that student can also get in a lot of trouble. Students should be able to have more first amendment
College campuses have always been the sites where students can express their opinions without fear. There have been many debates about the merits of allowing free speech on campus. Some students and faculties support allowing free speech on campus, while others believe that colleges should restrict free speech to make the college’s environment safer for every student. Free speeches are endangered on college campuses because of trigger warning, increasing policing of free speech, and the hypersensitivity of college students.
For many students, it tends to be much more than just getting a job after graduation. They take part in their community on campus and discover themselves as they develop further in life. When some students take action to make a change to their college, it seems to only support their personal ideologies. So when that action is aimed towards restricting free speech, who is it actually benefitting? Freedom of speech should be encouraged, especially at universities because students need to think for themselves whether that influence should affect them or not.
Freedom of speech is the right given to every individual. Everyone has been given the right to speak their mind and share their opinions. This right is always important but in higher learning, it is essential. Without freedom of speech the whole idea of higher education would just be a contradiction. When an institute of higher education tries to resist this right the whole purpose of the institute becomes contradicted. One needs their right to freely speak their mind for higher education to be a successful venture. The right to free speech is essential in higher education because it gives the individual the chance to fearlessly be who they are, the mind substance to develop and, the opportunity to bring better ideas about.
Marla Iyasere said that, Students and faculty should not lose there first amendment Constitutional rights as they walk onto school property, and a teacher should have some measure of control over what they choose to speak and teach about (Lyasere 25). In the academic society, academic freedom is decided by the location or occupation or role in the society you are in. Many professors believe this should not be the case, such as Marjorie Heins, a former NYU adjunct professor who serves on the academic freedom and tenure committee of the American Association of University Professors. Heins said, “The lack of respect for freedom of speech permeates the whole enterprise,” (Saul). This means without freedom of speech in the classroom students and teachers will beat around the bush and won’t be able to fully explain certain concepts. Academic freedom allows the people in the classroom to connect on another level. Students will be enrolled in the course because of interest and not because of a requirement and teachers will be teaching a subject because of a passion. This bond in the classroom will bring a higher success