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
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.
Grabber: Do we still have the freedom speech or has the internet changed the meaning of free speech?
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...
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:
Hall, K. (2002, September 13). Free speech on public college campuses overview. Retrieved from http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/free-speech-on-public-college-campuses
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
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.
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
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
This conclusion rests upon the framework that free speech has three dimensions: production and distribution; comprehension; and attention and consideration. In other words, free speech requires that a speaker have the opportunity to communicate thoughts and ideas to an audience. Furthermore, free speech necessitates that an outside agent does not prevent the audience from understanding, giving attention...
Speech is more than orally speaking words. In addition to oral, speech can be written, symbolic, or in the form of a protest. Speech is often protected by the First Amendment, but is not always. Students at a public institution will need to educate themselves on the difference between the two. The words that are spoken are very important, but so is the location.
Earlier this month in April, student protestors rioted at Berkley University because they did not want certain Conservative guest speakers to be able to give speeches at the university due to some of the speakers comments being inappropriate. According to the nonprofit organization committed to defending civil liberties named The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), "One worrisome trend undermining open discourse in the academy is the increased push by some students and faculty to 'disinvite' speakers with whom they disagree from campus appearances" (The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education). While the protesters were practicing their first amendment right to petition, the students were infringing upon the Conservative speakers freedom of speech which is unconstitutional. Just because the protesters may have disagreed with the speakers comments, does not mean that theys hould have prevented them from being able to express them. This is similar to the novel 1984 because the protestors controlled and censored what was able to be said at Berkeley University, just like how in the novel the Thought Police controlled what citizens said just because The Party disagreed with certain perspectives and didn’t want certain information to be
Last, because of censorship, freedom of speech on campus should not be limited. According to the Constitution, it is unconstitutional when the government uses censorship because censorship is speech which has been censored. For instance, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, Sara Hebel, “public-college officials in California would be strictly limited in their ability to censor the content of student-run newspapers under proposed legislation that passed the State Assembly this month” (Hebel A28). Hebel explains that “college students are worried that the bill will allow campus administrators to infringe new limits on what students say” (Hebel A28). Hebei reflects that universities should not limit what students can or cannot say in a newspaper.
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.