Freedom of Speech at College - 2731 Words

Free Speech on College Campuses Universities are considering adopting speech codes that would put a ban on offensive, demeaning, and provoking speech. The developments of these speech codes are not necessary. Sheltering students from speech that might offend them is patronizing to say the least. Do college officials really believe the students are too weak to live with the Bill of Rights? The fact of the matter is that speech codes on college campuses are threatening students’ freedom of speech and the free exchange of ideas and therefore have no place in higher education. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The first amendment states, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an†¦show more content†¦The Supreme Court has clearly ruled in favor of free speech (Bok 124). In 1969, a landmark decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District ruled that students are permitted to have a right to express themselves. The 7-2 ruling encouraged the right of three students to wear black armbands to show their support for a Christmastime cease-fire in the Vietnam War. Justice Abe Fortas, relating the majority opinion, said, â€Å"School officials do not possess absolute authority over their students. . . . In the absence of a specific showing of constitutionally valid reasons to regulate their speech, students are entitled to freedom of expression of their views† (qtd. In Jost, â€Å"Student Rights† 504). In another major ruling, in 1989, the Supreme Court defended the right to burn the American flag. The Court also added that this was an expression of disagreement with government policies and shall be protected by the amendment (ACLU.org). Silverglate explains the case of Cohen v. California in 1971 as follows: In that case, an antiwar protester wore a jacket in the Los Angeles County Courthouse that used a vulgar profanity to express his objection to the draft. The State of California prosecuted the protestor for â€Å"maliciously and willfully disturbing the peace or quiet of any neighborhood or person†¦by†¦offensive conduct.† The Court rejected California’sShow MoreRelatedThe Importance of Freedom of Speech in College Essay812 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom 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 â€Å"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 someRead MoreFreedom Of Speech Should Not Be Legal1644 Words   |  7 PagesIn today s society we see college as a Location for students to gain education and by the students gaining the education they obtain from colleges they than can use those skills to acquire a job that benefits the society we live in into a positive way. Freedom of speech is the right to express any opinion without being restrained by anyone, expressing ourself in part of being a person in that s what makes up who we are. We could believe in things,people or anything we have strong beliefs in. StudentsRead MoreFree Speech Freedom Of Speech1689 Words   |  7 PagesBenjamin Franklin once said, â€Å"Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty, without freedom o f speech.† With this quote in mind, freedom of speech should surely be guaranteed right in a every institution. There are various forms of free speech to powerful speeches at a peaceful protest to a girl posting a selfie. Freedom of speech is the key concept that is basis of every human right. This inherent right should be protected and supported inRead MoreLet the Students Speak: The Importance of Free Speech on College Campuses874 Words   |  4 Pages Ah, the freedom of speech. Outlined in our nation’s Constitution and considered one of the most fundamental of all human rights, it gives us the ability to express ourselves without government interference, restraint, or suppression (â€Å"Freedom of Speech: An Overview†). Free speech is practiced by all types of American citizens, from the teenage girl posting a picture of a Starbucks cup on Instagram to the riled adult handing out fliers for a political cause. Every form of expression, ranging fromRead MoreFreedom Of Speech Essay749 Words   |  3 PagesFowler ENC 1101 26 October 2017 Limited Freedom Of Speech Freedom of speech is defined as â€Å"The right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint†. With this being said the audacity of universities trying to completely limit students’ freedom of speech absurd. In some cases students should be held accountable for what they have said, but all speech is not deleterious and it should not be limited. If the university exposes the power to limit speech some students might take advantage forRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article The Coddling Of The American Mind 1071 Words   |  5 PagesFreedom of speech is a fundamental American freedom and a human right, and there’s no place that this right should be more valued and protected than in colleges and universities. A college exists to educate and to advance a student s knowledge. Colleges do so by acting as a â€Å"marketplace of ideas† where ideas compete. It is important to be able to compare your ideas with everyone else as it helps to open your mind to ot her people’s views and can give you a different perception on things. In the articleRead MoreFreedom Of Speech : Speech1105 Words   |  5 Pages Freedom of Speech Freedom of Speech, part of the First Amendment, is a privileged right that should not be taken lightly. The Milo Bill is said to protect students’ right to their freedom of speech on school grounds. It was introduced at Tennessee’s State House and is named after Milo Yiannopoulos, a British public speaker who made a career out of â€Å"trolling† liberals and gained publicity for uncalled-for acts, such as racist and harassing comments on Twitter, which got him banned from the socialRead MoreThe Importance of Freedom of Speech in Higher Education781 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom 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 institu te becomes contradicted. One needs their right to freely speak their mind for higher education to be aRead MoreCivil Liberties And Multiculturalism : The Freedom Of The Human Mind1430 Words   |  6 PagesWhile speaking about the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson once said, â€Å"This institution will be based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind. For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it.† ( ) What Jefferson understood, along with the other founding fathers, is college is meant to be a forum for diverse ideas and challenging one’s preconceived beliefs. That’s why for many Americans, the First AmendmentRead MoreThe Freedom Of Speech By The Bill Of Rights1569 Words   |  7 PagesThe bill of rights was created to give people the fundamentally important individual freedoms that no law could limit or take away. The quote from In Our Defense Congress shall m ake no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press greater emphasis how vital it was to make freedom of speech the main priority for the people of this nation. However, many of the stuff the people express when using this right