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Freedom of speech is a major component within the basic philosophy that the United States was founded on and became solidified through the establishment of the First Amendment in 1791. In modern times, it seems as if this Amendment would undoubtedly be fully embraced on college campuses. However, the recent attention that hate speech is getting has caused debates over whether or not certain individuals, such as Richard Spencer who addressed UF students, should be allowed to speak on campuses due to the worry that it may instigate violence. Despite the possibility that Spencer’s visit could cause a riot similar to Virginia, he, and speakers alike, should not be denied the right to speak on campuses as this would violate the First Amendment. In addition, ensuring these First Amendment rights will encourage open and honest discourse on college campuses that will lead to more developed, knowledgeable, and experienced students.
Extremist speakers, such as Richard Spencer, deserve to have their right to freedom of speech protected to remain coherent with the First Amendment. Similarly, those who wish to disagree with the speaker should be allowed to do so whether that be a student, faculty member, or the University as an organization. The University of Florida is the perfect example of a university utilizing its right to openly disagree with the message of the speaker without outright denying the speaker the right to speech. Allowing Spencer to speak prevented him from using a denial in his favor to draw negative attention to UF and suggest that they were trampling on his First Amendment rights (“College Students…”). More so, it put the power to dictate if Spencer would be heard or not into those who were going to have to listen, the students. The audience and those around the event rejected much of his speech caused very little publicity and attention to be drawn to Spencer’s hateful rhetoric (“College Students…”). Suzanne Nossel describes this as letting the “marketplace” resolve the issue of whether the speaker will be heard or not rather than a University denying an individual their First Amendment Rights (“College Students…”). When all groups involved in the process are assured their speech rights this can promote civil discourse and a more enriching experience for students where varying perspectives and ideals are heard.
Free speech is an obvious benefit to any public university as it can encourage students to explore new beliefs and find value for those who think differently from themselves. According to the Freedom Forum Institute, only universities that provide students with the security of open discourse will be successful in the “quest for truth” (“Free Speech…”). Of course, there has to be a balance between open discourse and having respect for those you are communicating with so that all party’s views are recognized (“Free Speech…”). In many cases, it seems that the balance between open speech and respect is what stops situations from approaching violence and outright hate speech. In addition, when an individual's ideals are met with respect this can cause the fear of expression to diminish. This is going to enhance the student’s ability to discover their truths and grow as humans which is a huge reason to attend a university in the first place. Essentially, freedom of speech must be protected on college campuses so as to not deny any individual the right to explore and convey their own beliefs. If the right to speech is denied, this could cause limitations to be placed on the quality of open and honest discourse between students, faculty, speakers, and the university in general which would in turn damage the student’s ability to learn.
Overall, First Amendment rights are essential to a working Democracy as they ensure that even the minority opinion is represented. When extremist speakers seek out the ability to address college campuses they must be given a platform to do so, even if their perspective clashes with those of the community, students, and University. However, those populations that disagree also deserve the ability to openly do so through non-violent means. Universities must celebrate individuals' right to speech as it promotes open discourse and a diverse environment that is coherent with the goals of the First Amendment.
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