People argue whether or not free speech should be regulated at schools. At campuses around the country, manifestations of racism are becoming commonplace. Freedom of speech is the lifeblood of our democratic system. And that is why in order to protect our free speech we will have to accept the emotional abuses of any racial comments on minorities.
Taking away our right to free speech is not my idea of the United States of America. For example, in Washington D.C the Student Press Law Center is a fundamental source of legal support for student editors around the country. That's to say that University of Kansas a student host and producer of a news program was not allowed to interview the leader of the Ku Klux Klan by school officials (345, Hentoff). Well, so much for free inquiry on that campus. Who can tell us what kind of speech can be heard by everyone? In addition, in Nat Hentoff's article, "Free Speech on the Campus," Hentoff makes the point that "free expression"--the freedom that underlies all our other freedoms--is under attack as never before. Alarmingly, most of these recent attacks aren't emanating from some centralized authority but from people and groups across the political spectrum. Moreover his article focuses on "decent people" who ban speech for the "common good." Coming from a socialist background where the First Amendment was fiercely defended, Hentoff is clearly stunned by the fact that "liberals" have become "The Thought Police--With the Very Best of Intentions" (346). Although Hentoff does include some depredations of free speech by government agencies, his real concern is with how the "orthodox theology of the Left" imperils free speech. After all, if students are to be protected from bad ideas, how are they going to learn to identify and cope with them? Sending these ideas are simply makes them stronger and more protective of themselves. .
Proponents also argue that such extreme speech leads to violence committed against individuals or groups.
