In today's modern world, college campuses aim to create a environment where learning without obstruction is possible. Most schools use speech codes as a way to achieve this goal. Hateful, discriminatory, or triggering speech is considered a distracting and hateful obstruction of learning. However, college is also a place where the free exchange of ideas, no matter how offensive they are, are the building blocks of higher level thinking and response. Eric Posner shows his support of speech codes on Slate.com where he states, "They...,(Conservatives)…, think universities are treating students like children. And they are right. But they have also not considered that the justification for these policies may lie hidden in plain sight: that students
…show more content…
I agree that an environment where students feel attacked or marginalized would prohibit learning. However, in my experience, most professors are able to keep conversations civil while still allowing students freedom to express ideas. I think a great alternative would be a Conduct Code, like we have at Tallahassee Community College. Students are free to express themselves through speech but they are restricted on how they express themselves. If a student is not able to express his opinion without hateful or violent tones and body language, then he is violating the conduct code. Adults are expected to continue their work when they are confronted with offensive or difficult situations and push through the difficulties. Every aspect of life is difficult and faced with people who are going to attack you. College should be a place where students learn to counteract hateful words with enlightened, educated speech. We should be promoting healthy coping skills and mental health so students can learn how to deal with hateful and abrasive people, not shield students so they never have to learn the healthy way to deal with offensive situations. Furthermore, I do not believe that speech codes are constitutional. The founding fathers wrote the speech clause because they wanted individuals to feel free to express themselves, without fear, against the government. We must fight for
I agree that an environment where students feel attacked or marginalized would prohibit learning. However, in my experience, most professors are able to keep conversations civil while still allowing students freedom to express ideas. I think a great alternative would be a Conduct Code, like we have at Tallahassee Community College. Students are free to express themselves through speech but they are restricted on how they express themselves. If a student is not able to express his opinion without hateful or violent tones and body language, then he is violating the conduct code. Adults are expected to continue their work when they are confronted with offensive or difficult situations and push through the difficulties. Every aspect of life is difficult and faced with people who are going to attack you. College should be a place where students learn to counteract hateful words with enlightened, educated speech. We should be promoting healthy coping skills and mental health so students can learn how to deal with hateful and abrasive people, not shield students so they never have to learn the healthy way to deal with offensive situations. Furthermore, I do not believe that speech codes are constitutional. The founding fathers wrote the speech clause because they wanted individuals to feel free to express themselves, without fear, against the government. We must fight for