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That delicate balance between communal interests and free expression

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by YankeeFan, Sep 8, 2014.

  1. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    When liberal institutions -- our nation's best colleges -- seek to become the thought police:

     
  2. franticscribe

    franticscribe Well-Known Member

    This problem starts much earlier than colleges. As a consequence of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, primary schools claim tremendous authority to control or censor speech at the middle and high school levels. We've had an entire generation of children move through the system who are more likely than not to seek approval from an authority figure of their messages before speaking. And those that do challenge the system are often not successful. By the time they reach college, I worry, they're already lost.

    I teach an undergraduate First Amendment course and I am amazed at how commonly my students hold the perception - at least at the beginning of the course - that offensive speech can and should be regulated. I usually start them off with some video of hateful speech from the Westboro Baptists to gauge attitudes about whether or not that kind of speech can or should be controlled. It always amazes me how quickly they jump in favor.
     
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