Free speech on campus: Some students want schools to limit what's said

[Hoodat]

Free speech on campus: Some students want schools to limit what's said

Michael Williams     |     Feb 10, 2018

Richard Walker, a University of Central Florida sophomore and member of Knights for Socialism, believes his school should be limiting the voices of those who spew hateful rhetoric on campus.

“The university’s first responsibility is ensuring the safety and well-being of their students,” said Walker, 19. “It might be just words now, but if you let that sort of thing come into the public discourse and become widely accepted, it doesn’t stay words.”

In America’s politically polarized environment, students such as Walker increasingly think colleges should ban speech that may be racist or defamatory, a trend that worries advocates of the First Amendment.

More than 40 percent of students believe the First Amendment does not protect hate speech, according to a Brookings Institute poll taken of 1,500 students nationwide last year. Almost 20 percent believe using violence is an acceptable means to stop such speech, the poll found. In all, 53 percent of students — 61 percent Democrat and 47 percent Republican — believe colleges and universities should prohibit offensive speech, according to the survey.

Hate speech is protected under the First Amendment, but “fighting words,” slurs or epithets that would cause a reasonable person to react violently are not.

“I’m very disconcerted about how very uninformed — frankly dangerously uninformed — many college students are about the First Amendment,” said Lawrence Walters, a Longwood-based attorney who focuses on First Amendment issues.

Some students at UCF say free speech should be an integral part of college life.

“If you’re going to insulate people in college from offensive speech, how are they going to survive the real world?” said UCF junior Alexander Zimmerman, 21, of Miami, who adds that he has been spat at and threatened because he supports President Donald Trump.

Florida lawmakers are trying to broaden free-speech rights on campus by making all areas of campus “traditional public forums” and making schools financially liable if speaking events are disrupted.  .  .  .

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-first-amendment-college-campus-20180201-story.html


This is no different than it was at Berkeley back in 1964.  Bottom line, leftists do not support free speech.  Never have.  Never will.

[Oceander]

He’s right. Socialists, if left unchecked, usually devolve into brownshirts.   So, first thing we do, we ban the socialists. 

[Suppressed]

He’s right. Socialists, if left unchecked, usually devolve into brownshirts.   So, first thing we do, we ban the socialists.

And don't forget..those who do that are the first to put on the PATRIOT t-shirts!

[Hoodat]

Of course we could simply teach the Constitution in US schools again.

[Suppressed]

Of course we could simply teach the Constitution in US schools again.

ConstitutionS.

Too few supposed Conservatives have ever even looked at their state consitution, despite proclaiming the importance of state separation and federalism.

[Hoodat]

That goes for liberals as well.  Here's how the New York State Constitution begins:

We The People of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our Freedom, in order to secure its blessings, DO ESTABLISH THIS CONSTITUTION.

And California:

We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure and perpetuate its blessings, do establish this Constitution.

And Illinois:

We, the People of the State of Illinois - grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He has permitted us to enjoy and seeking His blessing upon our endeavors  .  .  .

And Minnesota:

We, the people of the state of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings and secure the same to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

[Applewood]

Of course, these kids are learning this nonsense from their professors.  The brainwashing may well have started in elementary school. 

Students like Richard Walker will be well  versed in all that social justice crap, but they will be lacking in the skills necessary to hold down a job.  Of course, that's what these commie teachers and professors want -- a whole generation dependent upon government for their survival. Trouble is, when those of us who actually were sufficiently educated to hold down a job retire or die, who is going to pay taxes to take care of this completely dependent younger generation?

[goatprairie]

In 1969 I heard a representative of George Wallace give a speech to our poly sci class. I'll bet the great majority of the students were liberals,  and a few asked the guy (whose name I can't remember) some very pointed questions concerning Wallace's racial stands.
Nevertheless, there were no protests, riots,  the guy wasn't stopped from speaking and was given polite applause at the end. Times change. Now snowflakes simply can't abide anybody saying things that might hurt their innocent feelings. 

[Restored]

People under 30 have been insulated by their parents. They believe they should be protected from certain ideas and speech. The only way to do that is to ban that speech and those ideas. They have been fed the idea that words and ideas can cause people to die.

[Free Vulcan]

Problem is with socialists this always devolves into inquisitions and witch hunts, and anyone speaking against rigid socialist cult dogma is branded as hateful and intolerant, then targeted.

[truth_seeker]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Speech_Movement

Wiki

"The Free Speech Movement (FSM) was a massive, long-lasting student protest which took place during the 1964–65 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.[1][2][3][4][5][6] The Movement was informally under the central leadership of Berkeley graduate student Mario Savio.[1][2][7] Other student leaders include Jack Weinberg, Michael Rossman, George Barton, Brian Turner, Bettina Aptheker, Steve Weissman, Michael Teal, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg, and others.[8]

With the participation of thousands of students, the Free Speech Movement was the first mass civil disobedience in college campus of the United States during 1960s.[1][5][6][9] Students insisted that the university administration lift the ban of on-campus political activities and acknowledge the students' right to free speech and academic freedom. The Free Speech Movement was under the influence of the New Left,[10] and was also related to the American Civil Rights Movement and the Anti-Vietnam War Movement.[1][2][3][4][5][6][9] It exhibits far-reaching influence on the political views and values of generations of college students, university administrations, and the general public in the United States.[1][2][3][4][5][6][9]"

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