The Results of Restrictions of Speech Freedom and Expression at College Campuses

The first amendment is being attacked from all sides, muffled, and redefined in modern America, and this is especially apparent in Universities and college campuses around the nation. Freedom of speech is necessary for the growth and development of everyone, mainly young people. Restricting freedom of speech on college and university campuses would prevent any sort of intellectual, emotional, and relational growth amongst the student body. Freedom of speech restrictions on higher education campuses would lead to lower maturity levels learned at a slower rate because maturity is strongly linked to intellectual, emotional, and relational growth rather than merely genetics. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, or F.I.R.E., is an organization that aims to protect the rights of students and faculty members at America’s colleges and universities.

A case of an attack on free speech happen in Kirkwood in the August of 2019, when a Jeff Klinzman posted a response on an 'Iowa Antifa' while using his personal Facebook page. 'Yeah, I know who I'd clock with a bat…' said a post found on Klinzams' Facebook page, along with 'kill them all, and bury them deep in the ground' meant to describe his opposition to evangelical Christian political and religious views. When confronted by a local news outlet, he blatantly stated: 'I affirm that I am 'Antifa'. Klinzam's story received national media attention, and he was removed from his class, placed on leave, and asked to resign, 'issuing a statement citing the need to protect student safety.' Concerned with the state of freedom of expression at Kirkwood Community College, F.I.R.E. wrote a letter to the Kirkwood college president Dr. Lori Sundberg. The intellectual growth/expression of Klinzman was muffled because his beliefs did not align with popular belief and were rather controversial. Nonetheless, Klinzmans' statements were protected by the first amendment despite popular opinion and his rights should be protected at all costs for it is pivotal to his expression and his intellectual growth.

Maturity levels are supposed to be risen throughout students' college careers due to deep learning, new concepts, trials and tribulations, and the ability to exercise their rights. These established maturity levels are to be exercised in nearly every aspect of their lives post-college. In June 2019, the Librarians at the University of Central Arkansas library celebrated Pride Month by 'curating an exhibit of LGBTQ-themed books and highlighting the library's online collection of resources on LGBTQ issues. The librarians also included a Lady Gaga quote — 'Being gay is like glitter. It never goes away.' The university's administration directed its removal, citing the nature of the viewpoint and 'the possibility that minors on campus might see the sign.' FIRE wrote to the university's president stating that the 'decision to censor this particular message following a complaint about the viewpoint it expresses threatens freedom of expression and academic freedom…' The university administration removing 'controversial' banners from the library is clearly against all three of the necessary areas of growth to reach proper maturity: Emotional, intellectual, and relational. For those who are members of the LGBTQ communities, and those who are not, the removal of banners promoting one community hinders the education and awareness for all. The actions of the university's administration are detrimental to the intellectual growth, emotional expression, and relational development of the faculty and the student body.

Members of Orange Coast College's Young Americans for Freedom attended a campus even in an attempt to recruit fellow students for their club. At the club booth was a Pro-second amendment flag reading 'Don't Tread On Me' and '2nd Amendment Since 1789'. The flag also included 'two silhouettes of rifles'. Administrators approached the students during the recruitment fair demanding that the flag, as well as the booth, be taken down. In response to the attack on the students first amendment rights, FIRE sent a letter seeking answers and calling on the college to 'affirm that students' First Amendment rights will not be abridged.' In this case, Orange Coast College opposed the beliefs of a group of young scholars who were expressing their ideas and beliefs and trying to persuade others to join their movement. The college administration's action to deter the recruiting of second amendment advocates is an act against freedom of speech and prevents students from maturing relationally and intellectually.

Thomas Hubbard, a classics professor at the University of Texas, called the age of consent laws a 'sad by-product' of a 'self-righteous era'. The statements made by the professor incited a group of students of the university to call for the firing of the professor. The protesting students claim the Hubbards academic work 'advocate for violent crimes against teen boys' and is 'being celebrated in online communities that promote pedophilia'. The students have shared that the professor has written extensively on 'pederasty'. In 2010, Hubbard wrote an article 'analyzing sexual consent among young boys in antiquity' and he compared the current age of consent laws to prohibition. Hubbard responded to the outcry against his work in a written Q & A. Shalipa Bakre, the universities spokesperson shared that 'the university condemns ideas or world views that exploit or harm individuals' then immediately added that 'the study of controversial and even offensive ideas is protected by academic freedom and the First Amendment—as is the right of others to strongly disagree with and draw attention to those ideas.' In this case, the University of Texas understood the importance of freedom of speech for both the faculty and the student body. Instead, the student body attacked Professor Hubbards right to freedom of speech and expression which would have been detrimental to his intellectual growth and expression.

Restrictions of freedom of speech and expression on college campuses have affected both the student body and faculty in extremely negative ways. Restriction on the first amendment would prevent for emotional, relational, and intellectual growth and expression and would be destructive to the maturity levels of students who are supposed to be increasing maturity. Organizations such as FIRE aim to sustain and maintain the constitutional rights of the American people. The war on the first amendment has become more apparent in today's society due to 'cancel culture', fear of retaliation from the authorities, fear of disagreement, and fear of being told 'no'.