Free Speech in Universities

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British historian Timothy Garton Ash once said, “That said, the question remains: how to strike a balance between free speech and mutual respect in this mixed-up world, both blessed and cursed with instant communication? We should not fight fire with fire, threats with threats.” Our basic rights, guaranteed under the constitution, are increasingly under threat not only in our government, but particularly in the education system. Once a bastion of free thought and speech, universities are becoming progressively intolerant of anything that might violate perceived notions held by their leadership and sponsors.
The principle of free speech at the university level has been one of long standing. In 1188, Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa wrote the Authentica habita which set up the rules and rights for universities. Amongst the scholarly protections listed was the immunity from the right of reprisal for early scholars. So important was this document that Pope Alexander III confirmed it and it was written into Justinian’s Codex, the extant body of Roman law, by the Emperor.1 While curriculum has changed over the ensuing centuries, the fundamental principle of scholarly freedom endured. With the addition of humanistic studies in the middle ages, more progressive and creative university climates emerged. A new focus on knowledge coming from self and how the individual impacts society had great implications on generations of university students.
Many of our Founding Fathers had the benefit of attending a colonial college or studied abroad. Their studies laid the foundation for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights that guaranteed the rights of citizens in the United States. They strongly believed in the importance of the individual and en...

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...rights.4
Former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala once said, “You can't have a university without having free speech, even though at times it makes us terribly uncomfortable. If students are not going to hear controversial ideas on college campuses, they're not going to hear them in America. I believe it's part of their education.”5 Truer words have rarely been spoken.

Works Cited:
1. wikipedia.org. Web. January 1, 2014.
2. illinoisfirstamendmentcenter.com.Web. January 1, 2014.
3. thefreedictionary.com .Web. January 1, 2014.
4. thefire.org. Web. December 31, 2013.
5. brainyquote.com .Web. January 1, 2014.

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