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Free speech laws on college campuses

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Texas Governor Signs Law Protecting Free Speech on College Campuses

Tennessee & Texas -- Campus Free Speech Gains Ground Quietly in Many States | National Review

More states have passed campus free-speech bills in the past five months than in any other year in American history. Eight have been passed, seven enacted.

Moreover, this legislation comes at the very moment when campus speech codes are in a state of dramatic decline. In ten years, the percentage of surveyed universities with clearly unconstitutional speech codes (such institutions are “red light” in the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education parlance) has shrunk from a whopping 74.2 percent to 28.5 percent.

excellent, campus free-speech bills represent a true sledgehammer against censorship. At a stroke, they often do away with speech zones (which purport to limit free-speech activities to small sections of campus), obliterate speech codes, protect freedom of association, and mandate that students be made aware of their free-speech rights.

It seems that Texas is the 17th state to enact laws like this for college campuses.

The Texas bill isn’t perfect, but it’s quite good. It declares the “outdoor areas” of campus to be a “traditional public forum” — a designation that dramatically expands free-speech rights, it requires colleges to promulgate policies designed to protect free expression, protects student organizations from viewpoint-based discrimination, and protects the right of student groups to invite outside speakers. Critically, it prohibits the university from considering the “anticipated controversy” of an event before determining whether to approve a speaker or impose a fee for the event.

It has one troubling provision. The statute requires schools to “establish disciplinary sanctions” for those “who unduly interfere with the expressive activities of others.” The intention is good — to prevent “heckler’s vetoes” (shout-downs and other disruptions) that have plagued multiple campuses across the nation — but the expression “unduly interfere” is not defined.

This is interesting. So, if a heckler or some group of protesters wants to raise a ruckus to disrupt a speaker event, the law requires the college to impose some kind of disciplinary action.

Institutions of higher learning have traditionally been viewed as bastions for the free and open exchange of ideas, but now we're at the point where the government has to step in and remind them of that.
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
Texas Governor Signs Law Protecting Free Speech on College Campuses

Tennessee & Texas -- Campus Free Speech Gains Ground Quietly in Many States | National Review



It seems that Texas is the 17th state to enact laws like this for college campuses.



This is interesting. So, if a heckler or some group of protesters wants to raise a ruckus to disrupt a speaker event, the law requires the college to impose some kind of disciplinary action.

Institutions of higher learning have traditionally been viewed as bastions for the free and open exchange of ideas, but now we're at the point where the government has to step in and remind them of that.
So if someone like Milo or whatever neo-Nazi comes to campus to spread misogyny or homophobia or whatever else they hate, protesting them will now get you expelled. Let's protect free speech by stifling free speech! Way to go Texas!
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
So if someone like Milo or whatever neo-Nazi comes to campus to spread misogyny or homophobia or whatever else they hate, protesting them will now get you expelled. Let's protect free speech by stifling free speech! Way to go Texas!

The Socialists have long overstepped their bounds on how they handled free speech issues. This just levels the playing field again with no regard to the content provided by the speaker in question by not showing preference or bias even when the material is controversial.

Gays and lesbians are still just as free to speak their mind as the next person. It's not like that has been taken away by this law.
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
So if someone like Milo or whatever neo-Nazi comes to campus to spread misogyny or homophobia or whatever else they hate, protesting them will now get you expelled. Let's protect free speech by stifling free speech! Way to go Texas!

Well, the wording refers to those “who unduly interfere with the expressive activities of others," which is not the same thing as merely protesting.
 

Scott C.

Just one guy
So if someone like Milo or whatever neo-Nazi comes to campus to spread misogyny or homophobia or whatever else they hate, protesting them will now get you expelled. Let's protect free speech by stifling free speech! Way to go Texas!

If a person is invited to speak at a University, they should, in the name of free speech, be allowed to give their talk at the designated place and time without interruption. Those who disrupt are taking away from the invitees right of free speech. People can have enough self discipline to allow the speaker to present their message without interruption. Those who object to the subject matter of the talk have plenty of appropriate avenues to exercise their free speech without enfringing on the rights of the invited guest.
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
“who unduly interfere with the expressive activities of others,"
That is vague language. Bet you dollars to donuts this law will be challenged in courts when the first college to disciplines a student for heckling a speaker. Heckling should not be against the law.
 

David1967

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
The Socialists have long overstepped their bounds on how they handled free speech issues. This just levels the playing field again with no regard to the content provided by the speaker in question by not showing preference or bias even when the material is controversial.

Gays and lesbians are still just as free to speak their mind as the next person. It's not like that has been taken away by this law.

Yep. The right to free speech is not there just for the stuff we agree with.
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
If a person is invited to speak at a University, they should, in the name of free speech, be allowed to give their talk at the designated place and time without interruption.
Who says? Free speech is a two way street not a blind alley. If you are talking bull **** I reserve every right to say so.
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
That is vague language. Bet you dollars to donuts this law will be challenged in courts when the first college to disciplines a student for heckling a speaker. Heckling should not be against the law.

I suppose it would depend on how far the heckling actually goes. If it's so disruptive as to make it impossible for anyone else to speak, then it might cross the line.
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
I suppose it would depend on how far the heckling actually goes. If it's so disruptive as to make it impossible for anyone else to speak, then it might cross the line.
It's still a form of free speech that is protected as long has there is no clear and present danger implied or a threat of violence.

 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
So if someone like Milo or whatever neo-Nazi comes to campus to spread misogyny or homophobia or whatever else they hate, protesting them will now get you expelled. Let's protect free speech by stifling free speech! Way to go Texas!

Unfortunately at places like Berkeley those on the left have negatively affected the rights of others. Education, not violent protest, should be the goal.
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
Heckling is preventing the person from speech.
Comedians get heckled all the time and they know that the person with the mike has power over the heckler and the attention of the audience. If they know how to handle situations were they are being heckled why can't other people. If you are too sensitive to have an audience boo you then maybe you are a little too precious for public speaking. Look at the video I posted above.
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
Unfortunately at places like Berkeley those on the left have negatively affected the rights of others. Education, not violent protest, should be the goal.
Well violence is were you draw the line not at mere heckling or booing but when actual threats are made and there is a clear and present danger like a riot is forming.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Well violence is were you draw the line not at mere heckling or booing but when actual threats are made and there is a clear and present danger like a riot is forming.
I agree that's definitely when intervention is needed. Inciting a riot is obviously illegal and it seems more often than not, it's the hecklers who start riots rather than the speakers themselves.
 

Scott C.

Just one guy
Who says? Free speech is a two way street not a blind alley. If you are talking bull **** I reserve every right to say so.

I don't agree. In a civil society with free speech, people should keep quiet when an invited speaker comes to an event and gives their speech. You do not have the right to interrupt and call bull*** during the speech. You should be escorted out if you do it. This is not a blind alley. You can express yourself at another time. I would never even consider showing up to a university speech where someone is going to promote communism (or something else I object to) and jump up and start screeming at them during the talk. That would be absurd. Your method says that free speech goes to the person who screams the loudest so the other cannot be heard. That is not free speech.
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
I don't agree. In a civil society with free speech, people should keep quiet when an invited speaker comes to an event and gives their speech. You do not have the right to interrupt and call bull*** during the speech. You should be escorted out if you do it. This is not a blind alley. You can express yourself at another time. I would never even consider showing up to a university speech where someone is going to promote communism (or something else I object to) and jump up and start screeming at them during the talk. That would be absurd. Your method says that free speech goes to the person who screams the loudest so the other cannot be heard. That is not free speech.
Booing is a time honored American tradition. What you want is to enforce politeness on people, people don't have to be polite to a person who isn't being polite to them. If a speaker is calling for the extermination of the Jews, you don't hold back and let him finish up on why the Jews should be exterminated. You call him out right there and now. I know that is an extreme example but I am just saying that there is a time to heckle and boo someone and if they don't like it too bad. I am free to be impolite to a jerk. Freedom hurts.
 

We Never Know

No Slack
Booing is a time honored American tradition. What you want is to enforce politeness on people, people don't have to be polite to a person who isn't being polite to them. If a speaker is calling for the extermination of the Jews, you don't hold back and let him finish up on why the Jews should be exterminated. You call him out right there and now. I know that is an extreme example but I am just saying that there is a time to heckle and boo someone and if they don't like it too bad. I am free to be impolite to a jerk. Freedom hurts.

I agree. People are free to boo, free to cheer, free to praise god, free to say god doesn't exist, free to show disgust, free to show support, free to whatever.
My question is who's freedom out trumph's the other persons freedom?
 
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