Universities are starting to focus not on the quality of education for students, but something entirely different. America is a country that is focused on money, so it is not surprising to discover that many colleges are striving more for money than for creating an environment for students that challenges them. What are a large amount of colleges doing that does not challenge students? One of the main things is that colleges limit the amount of free speech that can be expressed on campus. In society today, it is very easy for people to become offended at the simplest ideas, making it difficult for people to express their opinions without being attacked for what they believe. Universities are realizing this is becoming a more prominent issue;
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In fact, Posner states, “Scientific research confirms that brain development continues well into a person’s 20s.” This reinforces the idea that colleges are shutting down free speech because they believe students cannot handle it. Many universities believe that students are not able to engage in arguments because they are too young to understand how to argue correctly. While this may be true in some cases, it does not mean that colleges should be limiting free speech on campus so that other students do not get “offended.” Even though students in college are seen as young, they still have a right to speak freely about their ideas and opinions. When students exercise their right of free speech and share opinions, it is becoming a common event that someone, or multiple people, get offended and complain to the dean or a professor about it. The dean or professor then create a rule that limits free speech even more due to the wants and needs of that student, or students. The age and maturity level of students is not the only thing limiting free speech, but another large part of this issue is the comfortability of students and their expectations for …show more content…
Instead of discussing the point of view that an author makes, students instead discuss how that author makes them feel, and they do that by using different “isms,” such as feminism, racism, etc (MacLeod). When individuals in the classroom say that a book offends them or it goes against their point of view, many times the book is banned form the college, which again shows how the wants and needs of students is limiting the free speech. By limiting the free speech of students in this way, it makes it almost impossible for them to learn new ideas and expand their knowledge of the world. Colleges believe that they are helping the students by sheltering them from offensive views but instead, they are hurting them by not teaching them these things and as a result, many colleges are failing at preparing them for the real world, where people can be very vocal about their views, not caring if they offend
In fact, Posner states, “Scientific research confirms that brain development continues well into a person’s 20s.” This reinforces the idea that colleges are shutting down free speech because they believe students cannot handle it. Many universities believe that students are not able to engage in arguments because they are too young to understand how to argue correctly. While this may be true in some cases, it does not mean that colleges should be limiting free speech on campus so that other students do not get “offended.” Even though students in college are seen as young, they still have a right to speak freely about their ideas and opinions. When students exercise their right of free speech and share opinions, it is becoming a common event that someone, or multiple people, get offended and complain to the dean or a professor about it. The dean or professor then create a rule that limits free speech even more due to the wants and needs of that student, or students. The age and maturity level of students is not the only thing limiting free speech, but another large part of this issue is the comfortability of students and their expectations for …show more content…
Instead of discussing the point of view that an author makes, students instead discuss how that author makes them feel, and they do that by using different “isms,” such as feminism, racism, etc (MacLeod). When individuals in the classroom say that a book offends them or it goes against their point of view, many times the book is banned form the college, which again shows how the wants and needs of students is limiting the free speech. By limiting the free speech of students in this way, it makes it almost impossible for them to learn new ideas and expand their knowledge of the world. Colleges believe that they are helping the students by sheltering them from offensive views but instead, they are hurting them by not teaching them these things and as a result, many colleges are failing at preparing them for the real world, where people can be very vocal about their views, not caring if they offend