I’m sure many students have heard the anti-war protesting of one student around campus this week and last. Whether everyone agrees with what this student has to say, or not, I think we should take a minute and applaud someone who is willing to openly express his opinions to others and do so without fear.
Of all places where opinions should be expressed, a college campus is the most appropriate. This is a place where our minds should be challenged and our thoughts should be surging, and politics is the perfect avenue to think critically and form an opinion.
The protesting student has had many students support him, and many others who were angered by him. I think it’s great both ways. Support means that he is speaking things that others feel. He’s expressing an opinion others might be scared to admit they have.
Anger means that your beliefs are being challenged. If no one ever disagreed with you, you would never feel strongly about anything. And if you do feel strongly about your beliefs, what do you need to defend?
I noticed one student making violent threats to the protester. The beauty of America is that we can disagree with each other, and it benefits us. The First Amendment allows us to have these disagreements, but they should be peaceful. If you disagree with him, stand up on the bench next to him and challenge that opinion in a non-threatening way.
He has seen some resistance too. Monday night he was yelling and playing music in front of the Ochiatto University Center and was approached by a deputy sherriff who asked him to leave because he was in a non-free speech zone.
The deputy sherriff later came back and told him he could stay there as long as he kept the volume down.
If we have free speech zones on our campus, we should all want to know where they are, because no matter what you have to say, you should be able to say it, like the First Amendment promises.
We need to applaud someone who has so much passion for an issue that they feel they need to shout it. I wish we would all have this kind of passion for something and I wish there would be 50 students yelling their beliefs across campus.
Scoot • Oct 18, 2008 at 10:48 am
I posted a comment last night, did it get deleted?
FRED • Oct 17, 2008 at 9:56 pm
I TOTALLY AGREE…
steve titus • Oct 4, 2008 at 11:21 am
I agree completely that the, “free speech zones”, if existent would be marked or known on campus. Audrey you mention that if someone has something to say they should be able to say it.. Unfortunately that is not true.. In the case of, Schenck v. United States, the Supreme Court established that free speech is limited if it creates a clear and present danger.. I think 50 students yelling things at each other are going to create a problem… Especially since they tend to migrate toward each other and could have very big ramifications.
I think it was great yesterday to have protestors to McCain on campus.. That was awesome to see on our campus. I mean at some colleges over the Vietnam ear buildings were torched. I just wish you all would of interviewed this student and ask him what his rational is and why he thought this form was more effective or something…
Interesting though..