Professor stresses free speech on campus – Standard Online

Professor Nadine Strossen, former president of the American Civil Liberties Union and professor at New York Law School, delivered a passionate talk about protecting freedom of speech on Thursday night as part of MSUs annual Public Affairs Conference.

Strossen highlighted the importance of protecting free speech for all under the First Amendment, even speech that is offensive or hateful in message. She offered examples from cases on university campuses where students have attempted to silence opinions they deem wrong or too offensive.

It really opened my eyes to what free speech means, Dorothy Vance, sophomore communication studies major, said. She said she now feels empowered to exercise her right to free speech by responding to the preachers who come to campus and shout offensive things at her, rather than ignoring them out of fear.

Im just suppressing my own free speech. Theyre not suppressing mine, Vance said.

Strossen said that college campuses and young people are most likely to advocate on behalf of censorship, knowingly or unknowingly, in pursuit of equality and justice. She denounced the push for censorship on college campuses, saying, learning is the antithesis of comfort.

She said she is encouraged by the resurgence of student activism on campuses but worries that pushing for censorship would do more harm than good. She went on to suggest that minority voices would be the ones most likely silenced by further free-speech restrictions.

With the recent trends in this country and with the past election, I think its important for us to respect the First Amendment and peoples right to free speech, sophomore social work major Hunter Brown said.

Strossen discussed other forms of expression considered offensive, including sexual expression and unprotected free speech, such as speech that threatens, incites real violence or physical harm, or accompanies a crime like assault or vandalism. She spoke for just over an hour and took audience questions following her talk.

Dr. Kevin Pybas, MSU political science professor, was selected to be this years Provost Fellow for Public Affairs and helped create the conference program. He said that Strossen was one of his recommendations, despite her talk being sponsored by the College of Arts and Letters. He said he was pleased by the turnout of young people, particularly students, to the talk.

The conference theme, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: Perspectives on Self-Government, was loosely centered on politics, Pybas said. Because free speech is essential to politics, he believed Strossen would be a good choice.

Our country, from its founding, has had a broad commitment to freedom of speech, he said. Theres always groups of people who want to censor speech they disagree with, Pybas said.

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Professor stresses free speech on campus - Standard Online