The Importance of Freedom of Speech in College Essay

Freedom 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 some colleges opt to control what you wear, what you post on Facebook or what you say. Instead of educating young adults, it appears that colleges nowadays are trying to babysit them in every dimension of life, including their personal online social†¦show more content†¦Why is freedom of speech important to college students? That is a question that some higher intuitions seem to forget (or knowingly ignore). Freedom of speech is important to students because it gives them the opportunity to practice their right and be more than just a student, but part of the actual body. By being part of the university body, they are just as involved and opinionated about issues revolving around the campus as so the board or the dean are. They can write petitions or disagree with the school’s new agenda if they please. They are just as important as the main decision makers. They are even more important if the school’s decision directly affects them. Freedom of speech is a very important right to the students and they should have the basic right to voice their opinions. A conflicting idea arises when irresponsible people take advantage of the various freedoms of speech and use it as a tolerant to do others verbal harm. If someone bullies an individual and posts hateful things toward them on the internet, does freedom of speech sustain that? Freedom of speech is the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint1. If someone says or posts something verbally harsh about someone else, are they not voicing their opinion on that particular individual? On that note, we must ask ourselves this: how free is freedom of speech allowed to be? Free enough to voice an opinion but restrainingShow MoreRelatedObscenity In Fun Home. ​​Should It Be Acceptable To Implement1379 Words   |  6 Pagesconcepts. Therefore, I believe colleges and universities should not be permitted to assign Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home to incoming freshmen as a requirement in their summer reading programs. Though some professors might argue the issue of academic freedom, the narrative’s obscene nature could violate the morals and beliefs of some students. Consequently, the education curriculum would not be â€Å"redeeming social importance† (Rault 100). 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HoweverRead MoreCodes And Regulations On Campus1456 Words   |  6 PagesAs some colleges are consider placing speech codes and regulations on campus because of allegations concerning racist speech and harassment. There are some, such as, Cinnamon Stillwell and Charles R. Lawrence III, who are in favor of speech codes because they consider some of the actions a form of harassment. While others, such as, Harvey B. Silverglate, Greg Lukianoff, and Howard M. Wasserman opposes the codes and regulations because they insist that no matter ho w profane the speech, it is stillRead MoreFree Speech on College Campuses Essay1250 Words   |  5 PagesKenzie Winkler Due: May 16th 2011 WR 122/ Wilde Final Essay #2 Importance of ‘Free Speech’ College is a time when most individuals are experiencing major changes and begin to explore new perspectives. The transition in becoming more independent, creating new insights and peer influence are key factors in changing the perspective of an individual. 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