Preview

Essay On Freedom Of Speech In College

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
999 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Essay On Freedom Of Speech In College
The topic of freedom of speech has been debated for years. It was seen as incredibly important to our founding fathers as it earned its place in the First Amendment. The majority of Americans advocate for the preservation of this right, but some say it has gone too far. The people who say that freedom of speech should be limited argue that this liberty can lead to some uncomfortable situations. When people exercise their right of expression, some claim that it can be offensive. When people speak freely, they often test social boundaries set by years of cultural taboos.
In many instances where free speech is an issue, people are oftentimes made to feel uncomfortable. This is often a result of differing beliefs or opinion as religion and social issues are popular topics of debate. People are always willing to fight for what they believe in, even if it is at someone else’s expense. College campuses are a hub of this debate on free speech. Many have implemented college speech laws that are in effect to regulate what is said and who hears it due to implications to some students. The colleges have put these laws in place in order to prevent controversy and to protect students and faculty. These college speech laws have
…show more content…
It is entirely a matter of opinion as to whether or not people’s rights are being infringed upon. In my opinion, it is a case-by-case debate. For me, there are certain instances in which people go too far and it is no longer exercising free speech. People trying to fight oppression can sometimes end up oppressing others as shown in the case of the “Draw Muhammad” contest. But freedom of speech should be more lenient in terms of sexual education. Personally, I believe that it cannot be said in general terms whether speech should be more or less free. The concept of freedom of speech is undeniably complex and due to its complexities, this issue has no obvious

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In “Protecting Freedom of Expression on the Campus”, the author, Derek Bok shows how expressing yourself falls under the First Amendment, whether it is on a private college campus or public college campus. He further explains that just because it is protected by law does not mean that it is “right, proper, or civil. Bok goes on to show how censoring freedom of speech would cause people to “test the limits” to gain more attention than is needed and if dealt with in the proper manner, behaviors such as displaying a Confederate flag or a swastika in rebuttal of the flag can be avoided. Freedom of expression is a right and should not…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    This article talked about how the students of UC Berkeley were protesting against a speech being given at their school, and how the sponsors of this group were forced to pay $15,000 in security fees. Then on top of that fee the school paid an additional $600,000 to create cemented barriers and have armed forces on campus during the meeting. Personally I feel these precautions were unnecessary however due to the way students were reacting it had to be done. Another subject brought up in the article was the fact that 44 percent of students said that the First Amendment does not protect "hate speech", 51 percent said that they would be in favor of students speaking out against a speaker "known for making offensive and hurtful statements" and 19 percent of students said the use of violence against controversial speakers is acceptable. This information frustrates me because freedom of speech is black and white, personal opinions shouldn’t interfere with our rights.…

    • 277 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Some universities, such as Texas Tech, have taken down their designated free-speech zones. Public places that still have free-speech zones have many rules on them. Just to be able to use one of the “zones”, a person has to go through many levels of clearance and review. An argument to that is that free speech zones give people the rights that they want if they try hard enough. If a person really wants to speak their mind in a public place, they should not mind going through the supplements. Free speech zones are futile because they are so limiting that they are not “free” zones…

    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    If the speech is a disruption to the education process, then the answer is no. In "Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser" the Supreme Court ruled that a student is not completely protected by The First Amendment; the limits being placed on lewd speech. In the case Fraser gave a lewd speech to an audience of his fellow students. The school argued that his speech disrupted the learning environment and therefore is not protected by freedom of speech. The Supreme Court gives the example of the Nation's legislative halls, noting that while "some of the most vigorous political debates in our society are carried on, there are rules prohibiting the use of expression offensive to other[s]" (585). Surely students can abide by the same rules as the people in charge of our country. Unlike the previous texts, Bethel v. Fraser is a case brief. Its intended audience is college educated individuals very familiar with legal issues. This is evident by the academic tone of the brief. The court case illustrates the necessary limits placed on free speech and why these limits are…

    • 1180 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Intent of the Framers

    • 1618 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Freedom of speech is part of the first amendment which states, “You are free to say almost anything except that which is obscene, slanders another person, or has a high probability of inciting others to take imminent lawless action.” (Patterson, 2008, p. 98) With the freedom of speech it is necessary to put certain restraints into place. The government cannot restrict what people say unless there is a clear and present danger to other people from the voicing of the statement. The freedom of speech was originally intended to give people the right to voice their opinion without being taken to court for it as long as it did not hurt anyone. Currently freedom of speech is viewed as a way to allow people the chance to speak for themselves. By allowing this government is allowing people to have a say in their governance and not ruled by the government without their input. This allows us to have a say in our government and what is represented by us. In 1927, Fiske vs. Kansas was a case that helped to invalidate state laws that restricted expression. The events that changed freedom of speech over the years are the burning of the flag court case, the “pentagon paper” publishing, and other such events throughout the years.…

    • 1618 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    “Women, sexual assault victims, people of color, transgender students. College campuses have created “safe spaces” for all sorts of marginalized groups. But in the process, one member of the campus community has lost precious real estate. Free speech” (1). This quote from the article “Free Speech is Flunking Out on College Campuses” by Catherine Rampell introduces the idea that the right to freedom of speech is being squashed. All over the country, colleges are taking away this right from their students in order to protect others, but in reality, they are only stripping them of what is protected under the Constitution. Censorship has spread to social media apps causing students to be in constant danger of being accused of harassment. Claims…

    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the debate over whether speech codes should be enforced or not on university campuses, the opponents conclude that university’s should not enforce a hate speech code because it impedes academic freedom. On the other side of the debate, the supporters conclude that it is a university’s responsibility to enforce hate speech code for an equal education opportunity. In this essay, I will conclude that hate speech should be regulated by a code enforced by the university because of the protection it offers. In the article titled, “Speech Codes Threaten the Free Exchange of Ideas on College Campuses” Eugene Volokh concludes that colleges should enforce a speech code.…

    • 1309 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are instances when freedom of speech is impaired, even though it is a constitutional right given to all Americans. This fundamental freedom is abridged when someone is bound by ludicrous Non-Disclosure Agreements, or NDA’s, on college campuses by enforcement, and in some forms by social media. According to Joanna Vamvaka, a speech writer, states, “In that sense, fundamental right to free speech serves as limitation to its own limitation” (Vamvaka 1).…

    • 691 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In higher education, public universities/colleges in the United States of America must respect students’ civil rights. These rights are stated under the United States Constitution, one entitlement is the First Amendment. The First Amendment protects the freedom of speech. Every student in an institution has the right to the freedom of speech. One free speech topic is the freedom in student press/ publication. Freedom in student press/publication is a speech is protected under the First Amendment. The student has the right to his or her own opinion. When these rights are violated, the student can file suit against the college and/or university.…

    • 1007 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As American citizens, according to the 1st Amendment in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States, we have the right to freedom of speech. However, in certain vicinities, such as public schools, that freedom is limited. Teachers for example, cannot discuss their own political or religious views with students. In addition, neither the teacher nor the student is allowed to profane. These types of restrictions are justified by saying there is a certain time and place for those subjects and school is not the proper place. School is for fundamental education and obtaining a broad view of the world without students being compelled into believing or acting based on the views of the teachers.…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the United States of America and in almost all countries, there are laws against harassment, libel, threats, and incitement to commit crimes. These speech codes are for the safety of citizens and are often used to suppress hate speech in private institutions and in the workplace. Speech codes should be allowed on college campuses in order to create a safe environment for people of different sexes, races, sexual orientation, religions, and classes, and to provide an equal learning environment for all by limiting the freedom of speech.…

    • 1668 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Freedom of speech is a beautiful idea. As a matter of fact, the first amendment itself is perhaps the greatest amendment in the Bill of Rights. As something that we take for granted most of the time, we never truly realize how much of a blessing it is to speak your mind and have decent conversations with each other. However, if you want it to rain, you have to deal with the mud and there are many examples of people spitting out stupid ideas or thoughts that should be kept to themselves.…

    • 582 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Today in schools there are a lot of bullying problems which can be agreed need better solutions.…

    • 501 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    First Amendment In Schools

    • 1339 Words
    • 6 Pages

    When looking at Tinker, the Court ushered in a criterion where school administrations have the right to control student’s First Amendment rights for free speech, when the speech has the potential to cause a disruption or interference towards class learning and events (393 U.S. 503). Under Frasier, an exception was introduced that would allow school administrations to control student speech if the content was deemed to be obscene and vulgar thus being offensive to the student body and staff. Ultimately, the exception is allowed without there being an explicit disruption from the speech content (478 U.S. 675). The decision in Kuhlmeier, the Supreme Court’s decision officiated a new standard that would allow regulation of student speech if the administration viewed the content as representing the school (484 U.S. 260). Lastly, in Morse, the Supreme Court held that student speech could be restricted if the content has the effect of endorsing illegal drug use (551 U.S. 393). Thus, there are at least four standards that the Supreme Court may use when considering student speech when dealing with public school, however, the same rules do not always apply to college…

    • 1339 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What would you do if a swastika was hung outside your dorm room or building by another student? How would you react to any offensive object or behavior that was considered free speech of another person? Many people do not know what they would do or how they would react and handle the situation if they found themselves in it. In the essay, “Protecting Freedom of Expression on the Campus,” author Derek Bok gives insight on the same situation which becomes a major concern at Harvard University, involving some students. Freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment which allows many actions and personal expressions to be valid and legal. Freedom of speech should be allowed on college campuses as long as it does not cause danger of personal threats to anyone.…

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays