Free Speech Zones

According to a survey, freedom of speech has been established by citizens as the most important right (). So what is the meaning of the most important right? Freedom of speech, defined by Legal-Dictionary, is the “right guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, to express beliefs and ideas without unwarranted government restriction” (). However, throughout the nation’s college and university campuses, those rights have been firmly restrained from students; our country’s future presidents, congressmen, lawyers, etc. As a substitute, many colleges and universities have implemented areas called free speech zones. While free-speech zones provide their own benefits, the negative consequences such as restrictions on time and place

First, it violates students’ rights as it contradicts the meaning of free speech. Its numerous policies, which are implemented to ensure that the campus runs smoothly, are often unnecessary and go far beyond the meaning of restriction on free speech. One of its most notable codes states that students are only allowed the opportunity to express their opinions within a specific free-speech zones in campus; where the rest of campus is strictly prohibited of freedom of expression. For example, at Florida State University, Jennings DePriest of Young Americans for Liberty said, "basically, [students] cannot engage in political speech outside of these zones [...], collect petitions outside the free speech zones, cannot hold a protest outside of the free speech zones, and [they] cannot sign for a candidate outside of the free speech zone” (Abshier). The free-speech zones throughout colleges and universities also imply several restrictions such as limited time of use, limited space, and pre-registration to use the space. For example, in

He also emphasizes that during these years, young adults “begin to integrate their identity, enhance their intellectual development, and internalize a personal set of beliefs and values” (135). In brief, college shouldn’t be a time where the young adults’ minds are put in restrain from free speech. It’s a period of time when reality of the real world really collides and impacts each student; a time where ideas sprouts like wild fire in the young creative minds; a time where each student searches to find his or her identify through others diverse aspects in life. One of the major consequence of colleges and universities having free speech zones is the restriction of out of class learning. Learning does not just stop in the classroom. It happens “in the classroom, in student group meetings, on the quad, and basically all over campus” (). The free exchanges and discussion of ideas are what aids students into finding their purpose in life while also hearing other people’s perspective. Even President Obama has strong viewpoints on free speech zones. Numerously, the President strongly defended the importance of campuses and universities allowing free speech as he stated that “being a good citizen, being an