Should College Students Limit Free Speech To Students?

1291 Words3 Pages

Students in college are paying for an education that will prepare them for their future, and are not paying to be treated as children with rules on what they can and cannot say either in verbal speeches or in print media such as university newspapers. Students are limited in the class room, and are restricted from their freedom of speech. Controversy between students may be caused by saying biased phrases or words, therefore, the universities prohibit their first amendment rights. “But the notion that ticklish conversations must be scrubbed clean of controversy has a way of leaking out and spreading. Once you designate some safe spaces as safe, you imply that the rest are unsafe,” (Shulevitz as quoted in Dresner). Students being safe guarded …show more content…

However, “policies that limit free speech limit the expression of ideas, and no one - no one - can be confident in their own ideas unless those ideas are constantly tested through exposure to the widest variety of opposing arguments,” (Goodlatte as quoted in Wheeler). While paying for a college education, students expect to learn, and grow. How can students grow if their ideas are limited to only those ideas that do not offend others? In order to grow and become experienced, one must practice these skills. Students can not be secure in their own ideas, and accepting opposing ideas without listening to others opinions on the topic. Sheltering students from opposing ideas is not the answer, it may even be harming the students more than …show more content…

The Foundation or FIRE reported that they “found fifty-nine percent of higher education institutions have policies that the group believes infringe the on First Amendment rights,” (Kingkade). This is said to be an improvement from six years ago, on the other hand, fifty-nine percent is still a high percentage. FIRE is working deligently to solve the problem, but not quickly enough. Students need to gain their basic rights immediately, and this topic should not even be up for debate. Public colleges are required to follow the First Amendment, in contrast, students rights are being limited, and they are not at the moment being stopped. Private colleges are not an exception to the law either, and should also be prohibited from keeping people’s rights away from

Open Document