Freedom of speech is more than just the right to say what one pleases. Freedom of speech is the right to voice your opinion on certain topics or dilemmas around you. This basic right given to us in the First Amendment is being challenged by colleges who encourage “freedom of speech” with certain restrictions.
In the two videos provided by FIRE, certain situations where students’ basic rights were violated were shown. In the first video presented by FIRE, I was very surprised to learn that some colleges opt to control what you wear, what you post on Facebook or what you say. Instead of educating young adults, it appears that colleges nowadays are trying to babysit them in every dimension of life, including their personal online social life. One example that prominently stood out to me was Hayden Barnes’ story, in video two. Hayden Barnes found himself in deep trouble with the school when he decided to speak out against an overpriced project that the school had decided to complete, by using student fees. This situation shows exactly why organizations like FIRE are needed. Students in certain schools have little to no verbal opinion on what happens at their school. There are certain things you’re allowed to say, and certain things that you are not allowed to say. Whatever happened to freedom of speech and does it exist on college campuses?
When freedom of speech is confined in higher institutions, it diminishes the budding adult’s importance of this crucial right. Freedom of speech was formulated by our founding fathers to insure that all citizens had a right to speak out against whatever injustices done to them without fear of punishment. However, the institutions that are responsible for the advancement of America’s f...
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...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.
Sources
1. https://www.google.com/search?q=freedom+of+speech&oq=freedom+of+speech&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i61j0l4.2847j0j4&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#es_sm=122&espv=210&q=freedom+of+speech+definition
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
1. The measure of a great society is the ability of its citizens to tolerate the viewpoints of those with whom they disagree. As Voltaire once said, “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” (Columbia). This right to express one's opinion can be characterized as “freedom of speech.” The concept of “freedom of speech” is a Constitutional right in the United States, guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution:
On the other hand, students have the right to speak out for what they believe in without having any interference; they have the right to voice their opinion. This protection is all due to the first amendment protection. The first amendment protects the students and also the teachers’ freedom of speech, that includes during and out of school. With the protection of the first amendment no person is able to violate your right to freedom of speech. Any pers...
Grabber: Do we still have the freedom speech or has the internet changed the meaning of free speech?
Wheeler, David R. "Do Students Still Have Free Speech in School?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 07 Apr. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
Hall, K. (2002, September 13). Free speech on public college campuses overview. Retrieved from http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/free-speech-on-public-college-campuses
Freedom of speech has been a controversial issue throughout the world. Our ability to say whatever we want is very important to us as individuals and communities. Although freedom of speech and expression may sometimes be offensive to other people, it is still everyone’s right to express his/her opinion under the American constitution which states that “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press”. Although this amendment gave people the right express thier opinions, it still rests in one’s own hands as how far they will go to exercise that right of freedom of speech.
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
Within their logical arguments and statements of authority, the FIRE provides some principles of pathos aimed at giving further persuasion to their audience. First, FIRE focuses on its mission and the issue of the First Amendment in order to make people more passionate about why free speech is important in the campus (FIRE n.p). The website outlines that freedom of speech is a vital American and human right which specifically needs to be valued and protected in the American universities and colleges than any other place. There is also an emphasis on university typically exists to educate students besides advancing the frontiers of human knowledge, however, this cannot be achieved when students are punished for expressing their views. The fact that freedom of speech in many American campuses is under the continuous threat in favor of comfort and politics helps carry FIRE argument
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.
In his essay “Protecting Freedom of Expression on the Campus” Derek Bok, wrote about an incident at Harvard University where two students displayed the Confederate flag and to retaliate another student displayed a swastika. This started a discussion at the University of whether to prohibit such forms of expression. Bok claims that freedom of speech on campuses should be valued above the protection of a student’s feelings. In addition, he argued that censorship will not resolve this issue; only educating the students and having discussions was the solution. But such solution may not be enough. For instance, in an article on The Odyssey Online, it was written that “Speech codes are necessary to have on college campuses because they help promote a safe and positive learning environment for all students regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds”. (Raddatz) They suggest that by enforcing speech codes, it will foster a better environment for minority students and will prevent more serious hate crimes from occurring.
Studies from universities such as UCLA, show, “ emotional harm is the equal intensity to that experienced by the body, and even long-lasting and traumatic.” ( Rosenbaum, 173) a university like to claim their reasoning to limit free speech on campus is to protect students them physically and emotionally by essentially limited their first amendment rights. That is not from of protection limiting students rights is not a long term solution. It is true that freedom of speech unconditionally is taking for granted when slander is direct to aggressively attacking someone which might lead to physical harm. It is a good thing that campuses and employers take action to prevent such events from happing. But at the cost of limiting the first amendment right is not the way to go. Most employees working in the private sector generally have no right to free speech, for those who break company policy can deal with disciplinary consequences and lost their job which is why most do not choose to fight against not have their first amendment right exercised. In 2010 a student by the name of Amanda Tatro poses a very controversial blog on social media facebook when the school found out about it. They took immediate action, amends “ criminal investigation concluded that Tatro had no intent to harm anyone, but the university imposed disciplinary charges anyway, including a failing grade and mandatory psychiatric exam.” ( LoMonte) even though Amanda was not on campus physically nor did she target any special person emotionally or physically, the campus power over limiting her right to free speech resulted in bad consequences for her actions which led to no harm. This is not right, an American citizen got in trouble for expression their first ardent right setting right at home causing no harm to no one. It is true slander
The first amendment is a right that all citizens of the United States has which allows us to speak out our minds, lets us put our opinion on things that we disagree on. There have been many incidents on college campuses where students have used their right of free speech to speak out their opinion but have had faced backlash and some other students have used it to show what they believe in this including for example a confederate flag which is associated with something that the majority of citizens disagree with. In this article written by Lawrence he discusses a problem that we are facing on college campuses. Lawrence being a lawyer and an activist stands strong with the first amendment and believes strongly that everyone can speak out their minds, but he states that there should be a limitation to it. There is a difference between having a disagreement and having a
A position generally held by the courts is that it is the goal of the public school is to educate students and that a student’s personal rights to free speech or free press may interfere with that goal. Court cases over several decades over freedom of speech rights for students have set legal precedents and are being used to argue for and against student’s rights and and student rights violations (Constituial Topic:Student Rights.
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.