Freedom of speech is a contentious issue in the United States. Between students and adults, it is the former who believe that their First Amendment rights are secure. Why is this so?
A collaborative survey through phone interviews was conducted by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, together with the Newseum Institute. The survey results found that there are more students who believe that their right to free speech is secure as compared to adults.
New York Times said that about 3,072 U.S. college students responded to the survey and 2,031 adults took part in it as well. Out of these numbers, 73 percent of the students believe that their freedom of speech isn't under attack. Adults fell short at only 56 percent.
Aside from the differing views between students and adults in terms of their exercise of the freedom of speech, another puzzling number surfaced. Among students, racial lines tend to play a role in differentiating the views of people when it comes to the right to assemble. Seventy percent of white students who claim that they can practice their right to assemble, and only 39 percent of blacks share the same outset.
The survey also provided a deeper insight on how students tread the line between hate speech and political speech. Those types of speech that sound offensive to certain groups are regarded as hate speech and efforts are consciously made to curb them. On the other hand, those that merely express political viewpoints are regarded as political speech and most of the time is respected.
According to The John William Pope Center, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) provides a comprehensive report that rates the exercise of the freedom of speech in more than 400 colleges and universities across the U.S. They found that only 22 percent of the schools implement measures to ensure that the exercise of the freedom of speech isn't violative of the Constitution. In addition, among the states, North Carolina seems to be better off in terms of free speech.
The fact that more students believe that they can exercise their freedom of speech without fear of repercussions, only denotes that America is indeed the Land of the Free. Do you share the same view? Share your thoughts below.
