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... ... middle of paper ... ...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
From the opening sentence of the essay, “We are free to be you, me, stupid, and dead”, Roger Rosenblatt hones in on a very potent and controversial topic. He notes the fundamental truth that although humans will regularly shield themselves with the omnipresent First Amendment, seldom do we enjoy having the privilege we so readily abuse be used against us. 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”.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty, without freedom of speech.” Indeed, free speech is a large block upon which this nation was first constructed, and remains a hard staple of America today; and in few places is that freedom more often utilized than on a college campus. However, there are limitations to our constitutional liberties on campus and they, most frequently, manifest themselves in the form of free speech zones, hate speech and poor university policy. Most school codes are designed to protect students, protect educators and to promote a stable, non-disruptive and non-threatening learning environment. However, students’ verbal freedom becomes limited via “free speech zones.” Free Speech Zones are areas allocated for the purpose of free speech on campus. These zones bypass our constitutional right to freedom of speech by dictating where and when something can be said, but not what can be said.
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
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.
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
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...
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.
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...
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.
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.
...ion requires students to have the ability to use their right of free speech in order for their period of study to be useful. Allowing a student to share who they are and become accepting who they are gives them the ability to absorb all that they possibly can from their experience with college. When a school allows a student to share their mind then they are given the chance to learn from others opinions and develop their mind. If a school allows all students to share their ideas without limit then they can all build upon each others’ ideas and create more successful plans or solutions. One of the most important things for a student to have when they go to an institute of higher education is the right to freedom of speech. All students need the right to speak their mind and keep their privacy on their own terms if they are to receive an education that is of use.
Marla Iyasere said that, Students and faculty should not lose there first amendment Constitutional rights as they walk onto school property, and a teacher should have some measure of control over what they choose to speak and teach about (Lyasere 25). In the academic society, academic freedom is decided by the location or occupation or role in the society you are in. Many professors believe this should not be the case, such as Marjorie Heins, a former NYU adjunct professor who serves on the academic freedom and tenure committee of the American Association of University Professors. Heins said, “The lack of respect for freedom of speech permeates the whole enterprise,” (Saul). This means without freedom of speech in the classroom students and teachers will beat around the bush and won’t be able to fully explain certain concepts. Academic freedom allows the people in the classroom to connect on another level. Students will be enrolled in the course because of interest and not because of a requirement and teachers will be teaching a subject because of a passion. This bond in the classroom will bring a higher success