The First Amendment, Freedom of Speech could probably be considered one of the most powerful amendments of the Constitution. It is very important to distinguish the suitability of Freedom of Speech and its’ position under the First Amendment. The essay “Protecting Freedom of Expression on the Campus” presented by Derek Bok gives an example as to why this should be. In his essay Derek Bok responded to the presentation of the Confederate flag and the swastika by students at Harvard, with the expectation that the readers already have an understanding of what the phrase “freedom of speech” means to them as well as other people universally. “The right to freedom of speech allows individuals to express themselves without interference or constraint by the government. The Supreme Court requires the government to provide substantial justification for the…
By definition, a speech code is any rule or regulation that limits, restricts, or bans speech beyond the strict legal limitations upon freedom of speech or press found in the legal definitions of harassment, slander, libel, and fighting words (First Amendment). There is not one real speech code that all public college campuses follow. The first amendment includes freedom of speech, but does not limit any speech codes on college campuses. The first amendment states that students have the freedom of speech unless there is "substantial interference with school discipline or the rights of others". (First Amendment). The speech that is protected under the first amendment is very vague especially considering schools and campuses. Finding a set standard for what the speech codes for college campuses should be easier than it is now; there should be a set definition that lays out rules for speech on campuses.…
I think that by allowing students to censor the topics or views which they don’t approve of, society is actually polarizing students’ opinions of various situations on college campuses. If there is one “widely accepted view” because others have been by and large censored out, then anyone holding a different view would be more stringently opposed. In turn, those with this nonconformist view end up feeling attacked and are forced to go on the defensive. At that point instead of being able to have an informed discussion and debate the validity of each other’s opinions, neither side can sit down and have a rational discussion without attacking the other, or feeling attacked…
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.…
“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…
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.…
If our legal reality truly reflected our political rhetoric about liberty, Americans and especially American college and university students would be enjoying a truly remarkable freedom to speak and express controversial ideas at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Virtually every public official declares a belief in "freedom of speech." Politicians extol the virtues of freedom and boast of America’s unique status as a nation of unfettered expression. Judges pay homage to free speech in court opinions. Even some fringe parties’ communists and fascists who would create a totalitarian state if they were in power have praised the virtues of the freedom they need for their survival. Few individuals speak more emphatically on behalf of freedom of speech and expression, however, than university administrators, and few institutions more clearly advertise their loyalty to this freedom than universities themselves. During the college application process, there is a very high probability that you received pamphlets, brochures, booklets, and catalogs that loudly proclaimed the university’s commitment to "free inquiry," "academic freedom," "diversity," "dialogue," and "tolerance."You may have believed these declarations, trusting that both public and private colleges and universities welcome all views, no matter how far outside the mainstream, because they want honest difference and debate.…
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.…
Claim: As young people our freedom of speech should not be limited because It is a natural right, we must be allowed our individuality, and what we do off campus should be our own personal business.…
With varying opinions and beliefs, our society needs to have unlimited freedom to speak about any and everything that concerns us in order to continually improve our society. The United States First Amendment states that people have the right for absolute freedom of speech, which raises concern for when freedom of speech should be limited. It protects the freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. Freedom of expression is made up of the right of freedom of speech; press; assembly; the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances; and the implied right of association and belief. This right is not restricted to the spoken word but encompasses other mediums of expression that communicate information known generally as “symbolic speech.” People are not using their right to free speech because they feel as if they cannot. This is not the case, just because there is a major conflict doesn’t mean they cannot let their voice be heard. Being able to speak is very important. Without the right to speak one’s mind freely would be forced to agree with everything society stated. With freedom of speech one’s own ideas can be…
For Instance, if the public was not able to possess freedom of speech than people would be force to be fastidious about the things they say. Politics, Speech in the classroom, Speech related to college and university governance, or Research related speech are all prime examples of why higher education is critical to the first amendment and freedom of speech. Even faculty members see continuing aggressive challenges to what they are allowed to say publicly or through an email privately. If you ask me, faculty members, academic professionals, or anyone should have a right to freely express themselves both in the classroom and externally because we all play an important role in providing necessary criticism, insight and invention to society. Ineffective or bad communication is equivalent to not exhibiting your opinions.…
Newsweek's cover story by Nina Burleigh "The battle against 'hate speech' on college campuses gives rise to a generation that hates speech”, raises so many questions regarding the issue of hate speeches in college campuses. In this article, Burleigh explains that current issue about the "war on free speech" effect the current situations of college graduates. She highlights that so many things are responsible which are responsible for the recent incidents including students, management of college/universities, Department of Education and activists. Also, she provides a comparison between the George Orwell's "Thought Police" or East Germany’s Stasi with the recent climate on college campuses. Another example of hate speech she explained is the…
Being able to express one’s self is one of the most important rights of the people to maintain a connected society right to speech should be accepted to do so. The first amendment is one of the most fundamental rights that individuals have. It is fundamental to the existence of democracy and the respect of human dignity. This amendment describes the principal rights of the citizens of the United States. If the citizens were unable to criticize the government, it would be impossible to regulate order. By looking at freedom of speech there is also freedom of assembly and freedom of press that are crucial for the United States democracy. According to the “Derechos, Human Rights”, freedom of speech is one of the most dangerous rights, because it means the freedom to express one's discontent with the status quo and the desire to change it. These types of rights are protected by the first amendment. There are groups for example like ACLU and other type of organization. ACLU is “America’s nation's guardian of liberty”, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights that the Constitution protects. We should be allowed to try our first amendment right specifically dealing with freedom of speech.…
Free speech is one of the most controversial and confusing of the amendments. Throw it into a college campus setting and it’s an extremely complex matter, especially when “Hate Speech” is involved. Many people have different views and definitions on what hate speech in tales, for instance in “Hate Speech on Campus”, Joseph S. Tuman, defines it as “Written or spoken words directed towards a particular group (typically although not exclusively a minority group) with the purpose or effect of verbally harassing and harming them” (413). A personal interpretation of hate speech is speech that attacks a person or group on the basis of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. With this being said, hate speech is a form of free speech. By removing, or writing codes…
I suspect that no community will become humane and caring by restricting what its members can say. The worst offenders will simply find other ways to irritate and insult.”…