There is often the discussion about free speech on many college campuses and if students are able to speak their minds. Classrooms and quads paint the picture of “safe zones,” environments that allow students to be free from backlash or retaliation from a differing opinion. However, there seems to be a blurred perception of what is actually offensive or just taken out of context. The question that presents itself is where and when can students speak there opinion.
The Advent of the “Free Speech Zone”
Colleges across the country, such as Longwood University, found it necessary to create a “free speech zone” on campus. This was the space students could use to speak their mind, speak their beliefs, and protest their opposition. Does this mean classrooms, essays, and blog posts are off limits and the student must conform to the majorities opinion, which could vary depending on the professor. Greg Lukianoff, in his article in the Huffington Post puts it this way, “…It’s actually a backwards way of saying that more than 99 percent of that campus is a ‘censorship zone’.”
From experience, these zones become less about students speaking their mind and more about radical local organizations condemning the actions and beliefs of Generation Y. Recently the Commonwealth of Virginia just passed legislation banning the so called “free speech zones.” The Foundation of Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) commended Governor McAuliffe for the passing of the bill. FIRE supports the passing of the bill because it no longer limits student debate to a single space. This is eye opening, especially to students, but it brings about another question: Will students speak up?
Speaking Comfortably, Questionable
Although students are free to speak their mind anywhere on campus, as long as it remains civil and peaceful, as Justin Pope, the Longwood University President’s Chief of Staff stated in the podcast above, does this mean they will? There is a common problem with this on campuses: nearly everything today can be deemed offensive to someone somewhere. Wendy Kaminer with the Washington Post discusses situations where content in literature used in class discussion was used as ammunition for hate speech. An instance that made the news this month at Binn College in Texas has raised some eyebrows as well. B. Christopher Agee, with the Western Journal, reported that Nicole Sanders, a student at Blinn, was recruiting students for her conservative group on campus. Sanders was approached by Sherri Rich, the Student Leadership and Activities assistant, and asked Sanders to vacate the “free speech zone.” With classic literature brought into question for content and students shut down in the so called “free speech zones” for recruitment, how are students supposed to speak on controversial issues plaguing the world with their professors?
On paper, colleges are proponents of freedom of speech and expression. However, is this truly the case? This post and podcast above have presented listeners and readers with a discussion regarding students comfort level with stating their opinions (this is not including speech which is used to blatantly harm anyone). The issue becomes what is suitable to debate because it seems anything can be taken the wrong way.
With this, we pose these questions to you: Are campuses becoming a hot zone for political correctness, or are they riding the line between free speech and protecting students? Let us know in the comment section your thoughts and experiences with free speech on college campuses and if you feel it comes off as a facade or a true freedom.
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