Banning Of A College Campus - 1845 Words

After recent increase of violence activists arose in college campus the culprit being targeted is unregulated speech. Many campuses are forming regulations on speech codes, others choose to remain unregulated. The decision making process is not put at ease with the first and fourteen amendment conflicting between the citizens’ rights to freedom of expression, and the right to equal educational opportunities. Is there a middle ground that allows individuals to continue their education in the sanction of a college campuses while not infringing on others’ right to speech? The possibility is there where we can decide what protected and unprotected speech is without turning the first amendment into a tool of domination. The fourteen amendment†¦show more content†¦If they liked Bush, we made them register to vote. But not if they liked Gore† (Dolgow). The same cannot occur on a college campus, however the fear remains on how information of others can be used or the manipulation of first amendment can be used in a college setting. The fact remains that there is a substantial difference between a corporation and a university. Universities are meant to be a place of learning and just like science is able to accept new theories, we should be willing to accept new ideas. Building tolerance as a community allows us to embrace unpopular ideas. That being said, there is very good reasons to protect offensive or unpopular speech. During the 1950’s, minority groups didn’t have the right to vote and civil rights movements sprung across the country. Voting right activists in the South experienced various forms of mistreatment and violence. One such event on March 7, 1965, â€Å"when peaceful participants in a voting rights march from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital in Montgomery were met by Alabama state troopers who attacked them with nightsticks, tear gas and whips after they refused to turn back† (Voting Rights Act). One can conclude, based on the reactions, the decision to call in the state troopers and the state troopers attacking the protestors, that these individuals found the protest offensive and threatening their values of white supremacy. Therefore, should we banned offensive or popular speech solely on the fact that