...Free speech should be allowed on campus. Free speech is meant to be free and should not be limited to certain areas. Our first amendment rights tell us that we have free speech, along with some other freedoms, and that should mean free not limited to certain areas. The people on campus should have the right to say what they want and not fear getting in trouble for it. These people should have the same rights as if they were not on campus, but that does not seem like how it is. The schools are there to help the students and to teach them better and newer things in life. Colleges are not there to restrict your rights, they are there to help you learn and to help you get a career after you graduate. They do have free speech on most campuses, but they have designated it to certain zones. These zones are a good idea, but it is our first amendment right to have the freedom of speech and they are slowly taking that away from us on campus. The administrative forces have been trying to punish these people that are not following by their rules. These colleges are trying to limit the free speech of students in their schools. These people try to take a stand with peaceful protests, but they just end up getting...
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...Altered By Today’s Society? People always have interesting, abnormal thoughts going through their head. Those thoughts could either be good, or bad. Here in the United States of America, Americans have the right to do certain actions. The first amendment in the Bill of Rights is Freedom of Religion and Speech. According to the Bill of Rights, this amendment allows Americans to express their thoughts, whether it is good or bad, and not have to deal with any type of consequence. The United States of America is at the point where the first amendment is being altered, or being taken away from Americans. In American public universities, there has been cases in which politicians and public speakers have...
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...that many other countries have laws against hate speech and that such laws have sometime been passed in the United States, although not nationally. I think this is because, as mentioned by Waldron, many countries consider hate laws in Europe and in other countries in which manifestations of hate are prohibited rather than tolerated in the name of free speech. I also think this because other countries in which have these hate laws, their constitutions acknowledge that basic rights, including freedom of expression, are legitimately subject to restriction. I think it isn’t consistent because many states vary in the extent to which they allow their national legislation be guided by international human-rights laws. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education reviews the narrow definitions of exceptions for the free-speech clause of the U.S Constitution, noting that universities frequently go beyond these exceptions in their speech codes. Those narrow exceptions include: speech that incites reasonable people to immediate violence, so-called “fighting words”, harassment, true threats and intimidation, obscenity, and defamation. I think that universities go beyond these exceptions in their speech codes because of the recent events that have happened. For example, I think the Virginia Tech massacre made a lot of universities scared that something like that could happen at their university, so they started to go beyond exceptions of the free-speech clause to make sure that nothing...
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...College campuses should not be a place where young adults are targeted by special interest groups, taught one-side of an issue, or dominated by expression that can intimidate the free flow of ideas. College campuses are filled with diversity. Rather, students from all over the world, whether citizens or guests, should feel welcome to share cultural, political, and traditional values openly. Unfortunately, some people take our freedoms to extremes on both sides of the issue and without limitations to free speech it could be abused. The essence of why free speech should be limited or censored on college campuses is best captured in Lawrence’s own writing On Racist Speech. “Assaultive rasict speech functions as a preemptive strike. The invective is experienced as a blow, not as a proffered idea, and once the blow is struck, it is unlikely that a dialogue will follow. Racial insults are particularly undeserving of First Amendment protection because the perpetrator’s intention is not to discover truth or initiate dialogue but to injure the victim.”(page56 paragraph 6.) The law of the land states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances,” (United States Constitution. First Amendment.) Prior to ratifying the U.S. Constitution...
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...Line Drawn? Freedom of speech: The right, guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, to express beliefs and ideas without unwarranted government restriction. The issues of language and whether or not there should be regulation of students’ First Amendment rights can be a summarized in one word for me. Bizarre. College campuses should not be able to put restrictions on students’ right to free expression. Contrary to popular belief that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” I understand that words do hurt; however, it is impossible to regulate language “because we don’t really know how to classify any kind of speech, which we would have to do before we could safely legislate against it”(314). You cannot prescribe a single remedy for the millions of different people on campus. How one person reacts to a word is completely different than how another person would. This is why our First Amendment rights cannot be restricted because there are too many variables attached to it. A UCLA student, Alexandra Wallace, posted a video on YouTube in which she complains about Asian students’ behavior. Wallace's three-minute video had triggered a national discussion about racial stereotyping and what authority, if any, colleges have over students' speech and opinions. When you are given the opportunity to express free speech, you have to act responsibly. Just like if you are given a license, you have to drive responsibly. If...
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...In the debate over implementing speech codes on college campuses, the opponents argue that speech codes are unnecessary because the rules in place are already doing an adequate job of keeping racist hate speech to a minimum. On the other side of the debate, the supporters argue that college campuses need to inject speech codes because the current rules are not working well enough, and that such speech is not allowing an equal opportunity in the pursuit of education. In this paper, I will conclude that speech codes are unnecessary. In the article titled, “The Debates Over Placing Limits on Racist Speech Must Not Ignore the Damage It Does to Its Victims,” Charles R. Lawrence concludes that speech codes will curtail racist hate speech in common areas. A couple contextual informational points by Lawrence are racist hate speech and common areas. Racist hate speech is any kind of speech that it focused on a person's race and is intended to cause harm to an individual. Common areas as...
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...Call me old school. Some may believe that talking about our forefathers and those who have battled for our rights is wrapped in history and has little relevance to the fast-paced lifestyles of today’s American citizens. However, when I think of the American Dream, I quickly associate our freedoms and constitutional rights—past and present--as foundational elements. Unfortunately, there are many who believe that we must be so politically correct that our right to diverse thinking is no longer valid. Rather, they suggest we conform to some vague, acceptable middle ground. I see it time and time again in the news and in public. Ban this! Ban that! That’s offensive! You’re racist! It sometimes seems frowned upon these...
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... the principal denied their request. He claimed that it was a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. In 1990, Bridget Mergens challenged her school’s decision to deny her request to form a religion based group on school grounds, and with the help of her lawyer, took them to court. There were mixed emotions about the Westside Vs. Mergens case, some siding with Mergens, while others chose the opposing opinion that the religious beliefs that are practiced within the group will directly affect the image of the school itself. Justice Thurgood Marshall writes that “The introduction of religious speech into the public schools reveals the tension between the Free Speech and Establishment Clauses, because the failure of a school to stand apart from religious speech can convey a message that the school endorses, rather than merely tolerates, that speech.”...
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...Misrepresents Their Purpose” by Yasmeen Sarhen has the opposite viewpoint. She believes that everyone has the right to a safe space. She even goes on to argue people who disagree with them are just privileged. At what point do safe spaces become too restrictive, and not help students adapt to the real world? According to the author Yasmeen Serhan, whether or not safe spaces should be at colleges and universities is a prominent, yet controversial issue. Sarhen also states that a safe space is a place where students come together to not be subjected to forms of bigotry such as racism, homophobia, and sexism. She also argues that safe spaces do not impose on free speech and the halls do not have to go...
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...teachers’ life where we always ask why. Why do we teach, why do we have to go through all of this training? Through all the years from the beginning of Plato to the current year, there have been many events that in combination define who we are and why we do what we do. In the beginning when we are kids we sit in a room looking at a person we get to know as teacher. Running through most teachers’ minds is that “students learn from each other as well as from their instructors (Childs, Broad, Gallagher-Mackey, Sher, Escayg, Mcgrath 2011).” As young people we do not realize how much education and time they must go through just to be at the front of that room. We do not realize that every single teacher must have not one but two degrees and on top of that they must have “at least forty days of supervised practice teaching (Childs, Broad, Gallagher-Mackay, Sher, Escayg, McGrath, 2011).” Teachers have a goal to work with a very diverse melting pot of students. In the late 1800’s it was acknowledged that getting the degree at the secondary school was getting expensive. It was brought to the attention of the Supreme Court to tax the supporting funds for the secondary education because of Kalamazoo College. This college was making claims that a very large percentage of the graduated student body studied out if the country. During this time Kalamazoo College would get scholarships and endowment funds to help these students pay for these terms. Students would have options they would...
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...on Hate Speech on College Campuses Introduction As colleges struggle to handle the various differences their students and faculty embody, the problem of “hate speech” has become a focal point of educational erudition and policy-making. In the most deliberate and alarming cases, hate speech is projected to degrade or disgrace those at whom it is directed, usually colored people, gays, lesbians, the physically or mentally challenged, and women, regardless of their sexual orientation, race, religion or ability. Less disturbing examples include insensitive or careless comments, jokes, and other expressions that are painful to those to whom they are directed, regardless of the intent of the person by whom they are spoken or written. The main focus of this essay is to discuss the current dominant structure within which the matter of hate speech is being debated. This structure draws heavily on the discussion of the Fourteenth and the First Amendments, which in my opinion are not adequate to the issue of hate speech. There is a pressing need for extra-legal standards for communicative interaction to handle this sensitive issue. Main Body In our society various laws have been invoked to regulate an increasingly extensive range of social communications. The very language with which we percept and talk about our needs, desires and disagreements is often highly legalistic (Glendon 1991). When reacting to someone else’s hurting experience, one may lament that there should be a law...
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...Paper on Hate Speech on College Campuses Introduction As colleges struggle to handle the various differences their students and faculty embody, the problem of “hate speech” has become a focal point of educational erudition and policy-making. In the most deliberate and alarming cases, hate speech is projected to degrade or disgrace those at whom it is directed, usually colored people, gays, lesbians, the physically or mentally challenged, and women, regardless of their sexual orientation, race, religion or ability. Less disturbing examples include insensitive or careless comments, jokes, and other expressions that are painful to those to whom they are directed, regardless of the intent of the person by whom they are spoken or written. The main focus of this essay is to discuss the current dominant structure within which the matter of hate speech is being debated. This structure draws heavily on the discussion of the Fourteenth and the First Amendments, which in my opinion are not adequate to the issue of hate speech. There is a pressing need for extra-legal standards for communicative interaction to handle this sensitive issue. Main Body In our society various laws have been invoked to regulate an increasingly extensive range of social communications. The very language with which we talk about our needs, desires and disagreements is often highly legalistic (Glendon 1991). When reacting to someone else’s hurting experience, one may lament that there should be a law against...
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...Jerdian ford Critical inquiry November 28, 2017 In the article “Understanding the angry mob at Middlebury that gave me a concussion” professor Allison Stanger gave her insights on the horrific incident which she was involved in. “But Dr. Murray was drowned out by students who never let him speak, and he and I were attacked and intimidated while trying to leave campus” (Stanger, 2017) This is relevant to my research because the students were full of so much anger. Protesting while Charles Murray wanted to speak wasn’t enough. The students wanted to do more than protesting, they felt using physical force would prove their point towards why Charles Murray being a guest speaker at the school was inappropriate. Another citation that is relevant...
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...Booker T. Washington. Washington felt the best way for Black people in the South to get ahead was to stay with the same skills they had practiced under slavery, namely farming and vocational trades. “In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.” In this line, he indicates that Blacks and Whites can work together with the latter feeling no threat to the system of segregation in the South. 2. Who was considered the leader of Black America’s Radical camp? Give an example of his radical views. W.E.B. Du Bois. He is associated with the concept of “The Talented Tenth,” which is a reference to the top ten percent of Black Americans who Du Bois felt should lead the way in creating opportunities to advance the lives of all Black people. He also felt that Blacks should have the same rights that any White person had. 3. Who were considered the “Talented Tenth”? Name a specific person who fell into this group. A reference to the top ten percent of Black Americans who Du Bois felt should lead the way in creating opportunities to advance the lives of all Black people. W.E.B. Du Bois 4. Note the following: “We return. We return from fighting. We return fighting.” The first part refers to Black men returning to the United States. Explain the second and third parts. After putting his life on the line, just as White Americans had done, he in no way saw himself as inferior...
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...various student groups on campus after a recent decision made for the allocation of funds for the King-Chavez lecture series. This document contains immediate and future plans for the University. At Pilgreen University, we understand that the issue at hand may cause problems no matter what the decision, because ultimately not everyone can be satisfied. However, PU does strive to make the University a place where as much equality exists as possible, and therefore will try to make the best decision possible. Issues At Hand There are several possible issues involved with the problem of the rioters upset over the decision made by the faculty/student committee and their allocation of funds. The issue at hand is that four different groups(a predominantly white religious group, LGBT group, African American group, and Hispanic group- no other groups are mentioned) that represent students on campus are vying for funds to be allocated to them for their specific speaker. Because the LGBT group seemingly presented a better platform for their speaker, they received the majority of the money. The African American and Hispanic groups received less money. The predominantly white religious group was not mentioned as receiving money; however, a white group was mentioned as being at the riot and looking for a reason to loot and vandalize. The issue seems to have the following possibilities as to why the riot is happening: 1) racial/ethnic tensions already happening on campus seem to help spark...
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