Written by Ryan Ackles, Sports Editor
Free speech on college campuses, a right that has been stripped from white nationalist Richard Spencer at Auburn University, Milo Yiannopoulos at University of California, Berkeley, and many others, is a topic that has created widespread debate across the country in recent months. [1] Some argue that while people do have the right to free speech, there comes a point when a line is crossed and emotions interfere. Others contest that free speech is free speech, and that regardless of the content, the right for someone to speak their mind and say exactly what they want to say stands wholeheartedly. While the right to free speech exists, racist, homophobic, xenophobic and Neo-Nazi ideologies should not exist in our country. And although they should not exist, they unfortunately do and these beliefs will continue to exist for years to come. More progress can be made in closing the aisle between liberals and conservatives if students are exposed to all ideas. But students’ purpose on a college campus is to feel safe and learn on a college campus, not to have speakers come in to discuss their political views. Ideas of immense hate, regardless of the speaker they come from, do not belong on a college campus. Students should find it necessary to listen to multiple sides of an arguement, but their safety and well-being should be the first priority of a university and it is up to the university itself to determine whether an individual is allowed to speak to students on campus.
"(Thomas) Jefferson did great things, but he owned slaves. We need to know both. Otherwise, we're stuck believing Columbus sailed the ocean blue and helped the Indians… being able to listen to disagreeable opinions when you're that young and understanding what they're saying and why.” [1] This quote, stated by University of Oregon law student Garrett Leatham, quite frankly sums up the need for free speech on college campuses in an effort to hear the voices of those who lean more conservatively and those who are more liberal on the political spectrum. Free speech at it’s core (as it pertains to controversial issues that affect people but do not cause personal attacks, such as abortion, immigration, or international security) is acceptable in my opinion. The other side to any issue in which people “feel that one side is right” needs to be talked about on college campuses. Students’ minds are expanding as are their political views are as well. The more information that is being delivered to them, especially at this stage in their lives, the more open and accepting they can be of other views even as they try to form their own views. According to a Gallup Poll of over three thousand U.S. college students, “(78%) believe colleges should strive to create open learning environments that expose students to all types of viewpoints, even if it means allowing speech” and “72% of students regard the expression of offensive political views as beyond what college officials should regulate”. [2] There is a way to address abortion without attacking the mothers who have rightfully chosen to abort their children due to a prior sexual assault. There is a way to address immigration without attacking the immigrants who are currently undocumented, but have rightfully chosen to live in the United States for a shot at the “American Dream”. There is a way to address international security without attacking the Syrians who have rightfully chosen to leave their war-torn country of battlefields and bombs to live in America. If these issues are discussed in terms of ourselves, what we can and can’t afford to do, and potential alternatives to the situation, and not in terms of “them” as a way to label these so-called “outsiders”, the voices of those who feel their right to speak is being threatened can speak in more muted terms on college campuses. The point is not to completely eliminate the voice of an individual with extreme views. While racist, homophobic, xenophobic, and Neo-Nazi views have no place on this planet, individuals who have these perspectives technically have the right to discuss them outside of the realm of college campuses as long as they are being brought up in a reasonable and non-violent manner. By allowing those whose views align with the alt-right to have/speak on their views, the ability for things to get violent could wash away. Their views can not be suppressed, and if individuals leaning left want to hear them out and protest peacefully, both parties should have the right to take this course of action, just not on college campuses.
The right to free speech should be respected, but on college campuses, when students are on campus to learn with minds that are extremely fragile and malleable, there is a line that must be drawn in the sand with regards to the kind of language that is being used. When it comes to students expressing alt-right views, the previously stated expectations should still be applied but at least in this case, it is the students on campus who are expressing their views and not outside speakers attempting to brainwash kids. The purpose of any institution, let alone an educational institution, is first and foremost, to keep its individuals safe and secondly to carry on with its normal practices. It is not only the goal but the responsibility of an institution, its adminstration, and its faculty, to keep the students safe. Safety not only is defined by keeping people physically unharmed but also mentallly and emotionally protected. In more information from Gallup, 69% of students said that of any speech on campus, using slurs and other language on campus that is intentionally offensive to certain groups should be restricted. [2] The spread of terrorizing speech must be condemmed on college campuses and this kind of speech goes beyond speaking for oneself because of the fact that it truly causes negative emotions to arise. These emotions can not be found in statements like, “What you are saying is unfair and wrong,” or “I do not like what you are saying.” Instead, this speech creates dialogue such as, “I feel threatened by the personal attacks you are making against me or other people around me. You need to stop.” The safest way to create a culture of safety and trustworthiness among a college campus is to leave the decisions of who speaks up to the university administration themselves.
The college must handle who speaks and if that speaker crosses the line of still maintaining the strong culture of diversity, acceptance, and equality. In the end, the speaker can not speak if the college does not open itself up as a host and despite what one may think, the words that are said by a certain political speaker on campus reflect the ethics, policy, and character of the university as a whole. In a survey conducted by the Brookings Institution in 2017, 39% of 1,500 total students believe that the First Amendmment protects hate speech and the majority of those surveyed believe it is acceptable to participate in repeated “shouting so that the audience cannot hear the speaker.” Even more disturbing, an entire 19% of the individuals surveyed supported the use of “violence to prevent the speaker from speaking.” [3] Colleges should be alarmed by these results and do what they can to mend the political culture directed by students on their campus before they even think about inviting a speaker to share their views on campus. Specific groups of students should not even be put in a position where they are in the line of fire for, in a way, causing on-campus riots because of a certain speaker they advocated to bring on campus. This systematic relationship between the institution and the outside political speaker can be connected to a power outlet. The plug is the speaker and it is the university, who literally and figuratively speaking, is the outlet that allows for the speaker (plug) to speak on his or her views (produce electricity). Whether a wise or poor choice is made to elect a speaker to come on campus, it is the university as the setting for which a discussion is taking place, to take praise or blame for its initial invitation. By encouraging the universities to determine which speakers or political ideologies are permitted on campus, any potential bias or debate on something as simple as who is speaking is completely removed and protesters of a certain speaker are only left to contend with the million-dollar institutions who are essentially providing them with an education and a place to live (regardless of what the cost of those arrangements may be). Colleges, in most cases, are politically unattached in terms of leaning right or left within the context of these universities’ ideologies and identites. Regardless of whose side they may be on at the moment, their goal is to work and act for the students, so even given the fact that the college adminstrations should be the ones to make these decisions, the students are still not out of the picture in terms of who they favor to speak on campus.
Overall, the right to free speech must be protected in most cases and it is up to the university to decide if this right is upheld or not with each speaker that is interested in speaking at that particular university. Free speech is important and should be respected as an amendmment of the U.S. Constitution, but there comes a time when even the most historically-abided by of historical documents must be tossed to the side and modern ethics, emotions, and political perspectives must be considered. But regardless of whether colleges choose to play it safe or roll the dice with regards to the speakers that they bring on campus, it is their responsibility and their responsibility alone to determine who speaks on their campus, as it is that speaker who in turn sheds light or darkness on the overall environment that the college community offers.
Works Cited
[1] McLaughlin, Eliott C. “War on Campus: The Escalating Battle over College Free Speech.” CNN, Cable News Network, 1 May 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/04/20/us/campus-free-speech-trnd/index.html.
[2] Jones, Jeffrey M. “College Students Oppose Restrictions on Political Speech.” Gallup.com, Gallup, 5 Apr. 2016, news.gallup.com/poll/190451/college-students-oppose-restrictions-political-speech.
[3] Villasenor, John. “Views among College Students Regarding the First Amendment: Results from a New Survey.” Brookings, Brookings, 20 Sept. 2017, www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2017/09/18/views-among-college-students-regarding-the-first-amendment-results-from-a-new-survey/.
Free speech on college campuses, a right that has been stripped from white nationalist Richard Spencer at Auburn University, Milo Yiannopoulos at University of California, Berkeley, and many others, is a topic that has created widespread debate across the country in recent months. [1] Some argue that while people do have the right to free speech, there comes a point when a line is crossed and emotions interfere. Others contest that free speech is free speech, and that regardless of the content, the right for someone to speak their mind and say exactly what they want to say stands wholeheartedly. While the right to free speech exists, racist, homophobic, xenophobic and Neo-Nazi ideologies should not exist in our country. And although they should not exist, they unfortunately do and these beliefs will continue to exist for years to come. More progress can be made in closing the aisle between liberals and conservatives if students are exposed to all ideas. But students’ purpose on a college campus is to feel safe and learn on a college campus, not to have speakers come in to discuss their political views. Ideas of immense hate, regardless of the speaker they come from, do not belong on a college campus. Students should find it necessary to listen to multiple sides of an arguement, but their safety and well-being should be the first priority of a university and it is up to the university itself to determine whether an individual is allowed to speak to students on campus.
"(Thomas) Jefferson did great things, but he owned slaves. We need to know both. Otherwise, we're stuck believing Columbus sailed the ocean blue and helped the Indians… being able to listen to disagreeable opinions when you're that young and understanding what they're saying and why.” [1] This quote, stated by University of Oregon law student Garrett Leatham, quite frankly sums up the need for free speech on college campuses in an effort to hear the voices of those who lean more conservatively and those who are more liberal on the political spectrum. Free speech at it’s core (as it pertains to controversial issues that affect people but do not cause personal attacks, such as abortion, immigration, or international security) is acceptable in my opinion. The other side to any issue in which people “feel that one side is right” needs to be talked about on college campuses. Students’ minds are expanding as are their political views are as well. The more information that is being delivered to them, especially at this stage in their lives, the more open and accepting they can be of other views even as they try to form their own views. According to a Gallup Poll of over three thousand U.S. college students, “(78%) believe colleges should strive to create open learning environments that expose students to all types of viewpoints, even if it means allowing speech” and “72% of students regard the expression of offensive political views as beyond what college officials should regulate”. [2] There is a way to address abortion without attacking the mothers who have rightfully chosen to abort their children due to a prior sexual assault. There is a way to address immigration without attacking the immigrants who are currently undocumented, but have rightfully chosen to live in the United States for a shot at the “American Dream”. There is a way to address international security without attacking the Syrians who have rightfully chosen to leave their war-torn country of battlefields and bombs to live in America. If these issues are discussed in terms of ourselves, what we can and can’t afford to do, and potential alternatives to the situation, and not in terms of “them” as a way to label these so-called “outsiders”, the voices of those who feel their right to speak is being threatened can speak in more muted terms on college campuses. The point is not to completely eliminate the voice of an individual with extreme views. While racist, homophobic, xenophobic, and Neo-Nazi views have no place on this planet, individuals who have these perspectives technically have the right to discuss them outside of the realm of college campuses as long as they are being brought up in a reasonable and non-violent manner. By allowing those whose views align with the alt-right to have/speak on their views, the ability for things to get violent could wash away. Their views can not be suppressed, and if individuals leaning left want to hear them out and protest peacefully, both parties should have the right to take this course of action, just not on college campuses.
The right to free speech should be respected, but on college campuses, when students are on campus to learn with minds that are extremely fragile and malleable, there is a line that must be drawn in the sand with regards to the kind of language that is being used. When it comes to students expressing alt-right views, the previously stated expectations should still be applied but at least in this case, it is the students on campus who are expressing their views and not outside speakers attempting to brainwash kids. The purpose of any institution, let alone an educational institution, is first and foremost, to keep its individuals safe and secondly to carry on with its normal practices. It is not only the goal but the responsibility of an institution, its adminstration, and its faculty, to keep the students safe. Safety not only is defined by keeping people physically unharmed but also mentallly and emotionally protected. In more information from Gallup, 69% of students said that of any speech on campus, using slurs and other language on campus that is intentionally offensive to certain groups should be restricted. [2] The spread of terrorizing speech must be condemmed on college campuses and this kind of speech goes beyond speaking for oneself because of the fact that it truly causes negative emotions to arise. These emotions can not be found in statements like, “What you are saying is unfair and wrong,” or “I do not like what you are saying.” Instead, this speech creates dialogue such as, “I feel threatened by the personal attacks you are making against me or other people around me. You need to stop.” The safest way to create a culture of safety and trustworthiness among a college campus is to leave the decisions of who speaks up to the university administration themselves.
The college must handle who speaks and if that speaker crosses the line of still maintaining the strong culture of diversity, acceptance, and equality. In the end, the speaker can not speak if the college does not open itself up as a host and despite what one may think, the words that are said by a certain political speaker on campus reflect the ethics, policy, and character of the university as a whole. In a survey conducted by the Brookings Institution in 2017, 39% of 1,500 total students believe that the First Amendmment protects hate speech and the majority of those surveyed believe it is acceptable to participate in repeated “shouting so that the audience cannot hear the speaker.” Even more disturbing, an entire 19% of the individuals surveyed supported the use of “violence to prevent the speaker from speaking.” [3] Colleges should be alarmed by these results and do what they can to mend the political culture directed by students on their campus before they even think about inviting a speaker to share their views on campus. Specific groups of students should not even be put in a position where they are in the line of fire for, in a way, causing on-campus riots because of a certain speaker they advocated to bring on campus. This systematic relationship between the institution and the outside political speaker can be connected to a power outlet. The plug is the speaker and it is the university, who literally and figuratively speaking, is the outlet that allows for the speaker (plug) to speak on his or her views (produce electricity). Whether a wise or poor choice is made to elect a speaker to come on campus, it is the university as the setting for which a discussion is taking place, to take praise or blame for its initial invitation. By encouraging the universities to determine which speakers or political ideologies are permitted on campus, any potential bias or debate on something as simple as who is speaking is completely removed and protesters of a certain speaker are only left to contend with the million-dollar institutions who are essentially providing them with an education and a place to live (regardless of what the cost of those arrangements may be). Colleges, in most cases, are politically unattached in terms of leaning right or left within the context of these universities’ ideologies and identites. Regardless of whose side they may be on at the moment, their goal is to work and act for the students, so even given the fact that the college adminstrations should be the ones to make these decisions, the students are still not out of the picture in terms of who they favor to speak on campus.
Overall, the right to free speech must be protected in most cases and it is up to the university to decide if this right is upheld or not with each speaker that is interested in speaking at that particular university. Free speech is important and should be respected as an amendmment of the U.S. Constitution, but there comes a time when even the most historically-abided by of historical documents must be tossed to the side and modern ethics, emotions, and political perspectives must be considered. But regardless of whether colleges choose to play it safe or roll the dice with regards to the speakers that they bring on campus, it is their responsibility and their responsibility alone to determine who speaks on their campus, as it is that speaker who in turn sheds light or darkness on the overall environment that the college community offers.
Works Cited
[1] McLaughlin, Eliott C. “War on Campus: The Escalating Battle over College Free Speech.” CNN, Cable News Network, 1 May 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/04/20/us/campus-free-speech-trnd/index.html.
[2] Jones, Jeffrey M. “College Students Oppose Restrictions on Political Speech.” Gallup.com, Gallup, 5 Apr. 2016, news.gallup.com/poll/190451/college-students-oppose-restrictions-political-speech.
[3] Villasenor, John. “Views among College Students Regarding the First Amendment: Results from a New Survey.” Brookings, Brookings, 20 Sept. 2017, www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2017/09/18/views-among-college-students-regarding-the-first-amendment-results-from-a-new-survey/.